Making the nation aware

PIERRE — The first day of spring is a balance between day and night and for many cultures, represents a time for renewal.

The annual National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is observed on the first day of spring to symbolize a sense of balance in life and a time for new beginnings.

The South Dakota Urban Indian Health clinic offered free, rapid testing along with free pizza and soft drinks Thursday as part of the event. The clinic also offered incentives such as a chance to win gas cards, movie passes and gift certificates for getting the test performed.

They sent out more than 400 postcards to clientele with a goal of administering 50 tests. Every person who receives an HIV/AIDS test throughout the year is also given $5.

The Pierre UIH clinic was the first clinic of any sort in the state to offer a rapid response test and the only one to do so for a couple of years.

The rapid response test is a swab of the mouth area. The results from the test take around 20 minutes to get back. If the test is positive, a more traditional blood test — which takes seven to 10 days to get results — would then be administered.

American Indians in South Dakota make up approximately 9 percent of the general population but 16 percent of the population living with HIV/AIDS.

Hughes county has a disproportionately high rate of reported native cases as well with numbers comparable to Pennington and Minnehaha counties.

Tami Hogie, Indian Urban Health clinic full-time medical provider and clinic manager said that one reason Hughes county statistics read so high is because people come to the SDUIHC from other areas in the state to avoid possible embarrassment or confidentiality issues in their communities.

Donna Keeler, executive director of SDUIH said that the confidentiality issues stem from small communities where you would know everyone at the clinic and they would know why you came to the clinic and the HIV/AIDS carries a possible negative stigma with it.

The clinic is trying to take the stigma and embarrassment away from getting the test done by making it a routine part of clinic visits.

Hogie said there is a nationwide campaign for people to find out their status no matter what the level of risk for the disease they feel they are at.

“It is just as important to know you don’t have the virus,” said Hogie.

She said early detection of the virus can help people live 30 years or more after diagnosis.

Keeler said the goal of Thursday’s push was to create awareness of the testing and the risk and issues surrounding HIV/AIDS.