Community leaders to participate in CareSouth’s National HIV Testing Day event, Saturday June 27, First 25 residents to participate will receive gift cards and Uber coupons

Community leaders to participate in CareSouth’s National HIV Testing Day event, Saturday June 27

First 25 residents to participate will receive gift cards and Uber coupons

BATON ROUGE (June 25, 2020) – Community leaders will participate in CareSouth Medical and Dental’s National HIV Testing Day event on Saturday, June 27, 2020 from 9 a.m. to noon at its Baton Rouge clinic, 3140 Florida Boulevard.

As part of the event, CareSouth is offering free HIV testing to encourage everyone to get tested and know their status. The community leaders will take the test as part of an effort to help destigmatize the disease.

The first 25 residents to take the test will receive a $25 gift card or a $25 Uber Coupon. No appointment needed.  You can just walk up.

“Testing is the only way to know your status so we want to encourage everyone to take control of their health to help make our community better,” said CareSouth CEO Matthew Valliere.

The testing will include a confidential, finger prick blood test and pre-counseling and post counseling. Results are available immediately.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1.2 million people in the United States have HIV and 14 percent don’t know they have it. The CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of their routine health care. People at higher risk should get tested more often.

Nationally, Louisiana has the fifth highest rate of AIDS cases. African Americans, especially Black women, are most at risk, accounting for the majority of newly diagnosed HIV and AIDS cases.

Confirmed community leaders participating in National HIV Testing Day

Metro Councilwoman Tara Wicker 

Metro Councilman LaMont Cole

Juvenile Court Judge Gail Grover

State Rep.  C. Denise Marcelle

EBR School Board Member Tramelle Howard

EBR School Board Member Dadrius Lanus

City Court Judge Yvette Alexander

City Constable Terrica Williams

Chi Joseph-Franklin, President, Baton Rouge Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.,

Dr. Tamiara Wade, President, 100 Black Women of Baton Rouge

Dr. Angela Machen, Executive Director of the Baton Rouge African American Museum

And others.