MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As HIV rates continue to rise in Shelby County, nonprofits are using this week to break the stigma surrounding the autoimmune disease.
“We will call it a concern because it is a concern,” said Krista Wright-Thayer, Director of Outreach and Prevention at Friends For All. “We’re second in the nation, and that’s a lot.”
With June 27 being the National HIV Testing Day, people aimed to highlight the importance of getting tested, and encourage people to get tested. In honor of the day, Memphis nonprofit Friends For All has partnered with Walgreens to offer free HIV testing at two Memphis locations.
In the Mid-South, advocates say testing could not be more important. Since 2018, new cases of HIV have grown by 36% according to data from the Tennessee Department of Health, especially impacting the black and LGBTQIA+ communities. Between 2018 and 2023, TDH says new cases of HIV grew 40% for people between 15 and 19 years-old.
"They have other needs that need to get met, and here in Memphis and Shelby County, poverty is a huge issue. People need to worry about where their next meal is going to come from, where they're going to lay their head at night, if they don't have those things, they're not going to care about their healthy sexual practices," said Wright-Thayer.
The nonprofit specializes in HIV prevention and treatment, and recently opened its new office at 1548 Poplar Ave.
Despite the medical advances that allow someone who is on medication to not transmit the virus, Wright-Thayer says misinformation, and a lack of information have made the fight harder, in addition to decisions made by state leaders.
“They really push abstinence, as opposed to sexual education," said Wright-Thayer, "It is not a death sentence anymore, and people still associate that. Certain cultures do, certain people do, and the more we get the information out there, the better people will understand ‘I just need to know my status.’”
Back in 2023, Tennessee lawmakers chose to reject $9 million in federal HIV prevention grants.
“The fact that this funding is being cut, is going to be devastating to the community,” said Dr. Michelle Taylor, Shelby County Health Department Director, in March of 2023.
As a result several organizations like Friends For All, OutMemphis the Shelby County Health Department, and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, formed the HIV Equity Coalition in order to find a loophole. The CDC eventually made a deal with United Way of Greater Nashville to provide $4 million to the nonprofit over the course of a year, who would then send to other nonprofits. However, despite this accomplishment, Wright-Thayer says this just added to the negative perception of HIV prevention and treatment.
"It made it seem like HIV prevention was not important, which makes it hard for us to reduce that stigma, and we're doing our best to let people what's going on, and it's still an issue," said Wright-Thayer.
The Center For Disease Control recommends everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 years-old should get tested at least once in their life. However, according to data from Health Policy nonprofit KFF, only 36% of Americans have been HIV tested.
The Shelby County Health Departments lists these locations as places to get tested for HIV:
- Choices- Memphis Center for Reproductive Health Inc., 1203 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104, 901-274-3550
- Friends for All, 1548 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104 901-272-0855
- The Haven, 622 Minor Street, Memphis, TN 38111, 901-467-1440
- Hope House, 23 Idlewild Street, Memphis, TN 38104, 901-272-2702
- Latino Memphis, 6041 Mt. Moriah Extended, Suite 16, Memphis, TN 38115, 901-366-5882
- Le Bonheur Community HIV Network, 50 Peabody Place, Memphis, TN 38103, 901-287-4764
- OUTMemphis, 892 S Cooper Street, Memphis, TN 38104, 901-278-6422
- Partnership to End AIDS Status (PEAS), 6073 Mount Moriah Road, Ext. Suite 19, Memphis, TN 38122, 901-315-3316
- Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, 2430 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38112, 866-711-1717
- Regional One Emergency Department, 877 Jefferson Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103, Mondays and Fridays, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Testing administered by Hope House at no charge.
- South Memphis Alliance, 1048 S Bellevue Blvd., Memphis, TN 38106. 901-774-9582
- Order Free Take-Home HIV Tests: https://together.takemehome.org/, 628-899-4662
"It is easy and we try to make it even easier by testing in the field in different places, farmer's markets, libraries, churches, bars, colleges, we go to so many places, so activities like National HIV testing day normalizes testing. It let's people know it's ok, it's not an anomaly, it's nothing different, it's nothing strange, it what everybody who is sexually active needs to be doing," Wright-Thayer said.
While getting tested, a trained professional will quickly prick your finger, collect blood, and test it with results being back at the Friends For All Mobile HIV clinic in only a minute. Once the results are back, Friends For All will either provide you with preventative measures like condoms or PreP, or free medicine to help reduce the likelihood you pass on HIV to your partner.
“The more people know, the more people we tell about it, the more people that get tested, and the better we can get ahead of it,” said Wright-Thayer.