MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis-area health advocates said they're heading out to more communities this summer and ramping up their HIV testing efforts to get more people to know their status or begin treatment.
The area continues to lead the state in new HIV cases, and testing is one way to slow the spread.
The renewed push is especially personal for Gabriel Dixon of Memphis, who tested positive in 1996. The diagnosis changed his life but didn't define it.
"I have never lived as an HIV positive person, although that is a part of me, but it's not the truth of who I am," Dixon said.
That 1996 diagnosis turned into ongoing advocacy for Dixon. Today, he's on the front line in getting more Memphians tested for HIV.
"You can get your results in 60 seconds," Dixon said.
Dixon and other free HIV testing advocates—including staff at The Haven Memphis in the UofM area—are boosting their access this summer at community events.
"We are doing a lot of testing in the field," Krista Wright Thayer with the The Haven Memphis said Friday. "[We are] normalizing testing, so [we are testing at] farmers markets and entertainment venues."
The need for HIV testing continues to be critical in local areas. For years, Memphis ranked among the top 10 for cities with the highest HIV rate, and the Bluff City currently leads the state with newly diagnosed cases.
"Black women are disproportionately affected by HIV," faith-based specialist with The Haven Memphis Misha Wesley said. "I work to remove the stigma within those faith communities, so I can get into churches, get into those communities period and get tested, so people who are HIV positive can begin taking their medication."
Dixon knows about those HIV medication breakthroughs firsthand across the years, including some treatments that can eventually make the virus undetectable.
"They are very easy on your system. There's hardly any side effects and they work really well," Dixon said.
Click here to find out where you can get a free HIV test in Memphis and across the Mid-South.