Get yourself swabbed

Though the AIDS pandemic hit more than 20 years ago, its impact on the world cannot be… Though the AIDS pandemic hit more than 20 years ago, its impact on the world cannot be forgotten. Since 1981, 2,145 cases of adult AIDS have been reported in Allegheny County alone.

According to Judy Sylvester, Planning Director for the Southwestern Pennsylvania AIDS Planning Coalition, blacks make up only an approximate 15.6% of the population in Allegheny County, yet they account for more than 50% of the people with HIV/AIDS here.

The numbers are consistently disproportionate for black communities worldwide, said Sylvester.

Such is the inspiration for photojournalist Gideon Mendel and his current exhibit at the Kingsley Association, “A Broken Landscape.” Photos and stories of those in Southern Africa, where HIV/AIDS rates are at their highest, are the subject of this exhibit.

Graphic photos depict the devastating effects the disease has on the culture, while others chronicle the mission to raise awareness about HIV. A look at the black-and-white photos proves that no one is safe – Reverend Gideon Byamugisha of Uganda was the first priest in Africa to go public with his personal fight against the disease.

Timing for the exhibit couldn’t be better. Friday is National HIV Testing Day, and there are 10 sites for free testing in Allegheny County. For the squeamish, needles, for the most part, aren’t going to be used to test for HIV. The OraSure test will be given instead.

A swab will be held between the cheek and gums for approximately three minutes. “What we will be looking for are HIV antibodies, which means that the body is fighting the virus,” said Sylvester.

Because the tests are painless and free of charge, and there is a testing site here in Oakland, there is no excuse not to walk up Lothrop Street to the Pittsburgh AIDS Center for Treatment and get tested. Results will be given two weeks from Friday, on July 11.

A Broken Landscape runs through July 13 at the Kingsley Association, 6118 Penn Circle South. National Aids Testing Day is June 27. For more information on both, call 1-877-627-6483.