Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
Simone Braithwaite (left), of Femidom the female condom show how to fit a condom on a model penis at the safer sex expo at Devon House, St. Andrew yesterday. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
HUNDREDS OF Jamaicans flocked to the lawns of Devon House to get their HIV/AIDS status checked during yesterday's staging of the Safer Sex Exposition, an activity associated with Safer Sex Week.
Primary and high school students and other adults also turned up to participate in the activities.
However, the highlight of the day was the free HIV/AIDS testing. Some persons stood for more than an hour to get their status checked. The testing, which returned results in about 15 minutes, had more than 300 persons lining up from as early as 9:00 a.m. for the event which was slated to start an hour later.
OVERWHELMED BY NUMBERS
Novia Condell, communications officer at the National HIV/STI Control Programme, a Ministry of Health initiative, told The Gleaner that her team was overwhelmed by the turnout, as they had been targeting 150 persons.
"The people are eager to know their status and we are heartened by the response," Miss Condell said. In addition to the testing, the National HIV/STI Control Programme offered pre and post-testing counselling to the 326
persons who were tested yesterday.
"Sometimes it is unsafe sex that makes some men fathers, so that is why it is relevant," said Jasmine Matterson, booth attendant for the Father's Crisis Centre, on why they were present.
Lanny Davidson, founder of Father's Crisis Centre, said there was a genuine need for his organisation's presence.
One person told The Gleaner that she had been wanting to get tested for a long time. "I am not worried, but I just want to set my conscience free," she said.
Another person told The Gleaner that the only fear she had was being pricked.
"I just felt like doing it, but I am afraid of the needle," she said with a smile.
