SARASOTA – Can Community Health host its annual National Black HIV AIDS Awareness event at Fredd Atkins Park. Our Alejandro Romero has more on the story.
“Knowing their status is one of the first steps to a healthy living and a healthy lifestyle,” says Serena Miller, Senior Prevention Specialist at CAN
For the past 13 years Can Community health has provided free HIV and STI testing to members of the Sarasota community. Saturday battling a stigma within African American communities.
“For the African American community in the community its sometimes rather hard and they don’t trust a lot of outside agencies,” says Miller.
According to the Florida Department of Health more than 50,000 African Americans were diagnosed with HIV in Florida.
“More people are becoming more aware but we have to continue with the prevention and the education to get more people with it,” says Miller
Reverend Demetrius Jifunza says he brought his family to the event to teach his sons on how to stay safe from coming in contact with the HIV virus. “Looking at your health and paying attention to your health should be a family matter,” he says
Seeing more people at church starting a conversation.
“Well right now I do see a large increase of more individuals in the African American community talking about it more. Historically that would have never have happened it was like the Scarlets Letter, the plague of the century,” Jifunza
Knowing your status is as easy as a prick of the finger and getting the results instantaneously. Can Community Health offers free HIV and STI testing at any of their locations.
