“It's a virus that's in the heterosexual community,” warns Janet Dick, R.N., supervisor of Hernando County's HIV Outreach Program. “So as long as you're having sex with someone and you aren't 100 percent sure you are negative and your partner is negative, anybody you're having sex with is putting you at risk.”

How Do You Get Infected?

There is a distinction between being HIV positive and having AIDS.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes the disease AIDS. Being HIV positive means the virus is present but there's no way of knowing how long it will take to turn into the disease AIDS.

Before the current generation of anti-viral medications, the time frame for developing AIDS was estimated at 10 years. There is still no cure, but with the improved effectiveness of the new drugs, people can now control its progression. But first you have to know you have it.

“I think there's a lot of misinformation out there and people need to be educated,” says Laura Dunn, one of Hernando County's two HIV/AIDS Outreach Counselors. The first step is to know if you are at risk. “How you can get HIV is blood to blood, fluid to fluid, mother to baby, sharing needles and unprotected sex,” says Dunn.

Anyone who has unprotected sex (including oral and anal sex) with multiple partners is at risk as are people who share sex toys, drug works or needles. Razors or toothbrushes can spread the virus if there is fresh blood on them.

Although blood transfusions used to be another way of becoming infected, changes in standards for blood transfusions put in place in 1985 have pretty much eliminated that possibility. But if you are a hemophiliac or were a blood transfusion recipient prior to 1985, you could be at risk.

It's also important to know how you can't get the virus. According to the CDC no one can get it just from working with, or being around someone who has HIV. It can't be contracted from a bee sting, sitting on a toilet seat or doing every day things like sharing a meal with an infected person.

If someone is HIV positive, it's not apparent to the victim or someone close to him or her. There are no physical signs or symptoms.

“I can actually show you beautiful, healthy looking people who could be models from the magazines who are infected,” notes Dick. It's not a disease you can see on someone.”

Florida ranks second in the nation in reported cases of HIV/AIDS. “Reported” is the key word. With the stigma, misconceptions and fear that exists around HIV/AIDS, health officials fear there are many undiagnosed individuals who could be helped but people either don't think it can happen to them, they don't want to know.

Getting Tested “In Hernando at last count, we had 148 patients living with HIV and AIDS since 2007,” says Dr. Kelli Maw, M.D., MPH and Medical Executive Director of the Health Department. Maw points out that preventing the spread of an infectious disease like AIDS is core public health. And since she and her colleagues suspect there are many more cases in Hernando County, the Health Department is proactive in screening, testing and education procedures.

One thing they fear many people don't realize is that because HIV/AIDS resources are federally funded, they are free through the county. The medications are also either free or low cost.

“Not only that, the advantage is that you have access to other services as well,” says Maw. “The nutrition department provides nutrition therapy and counseling. We also test for hepatitis as well. And if they become a client here in that HIV clinic then they have access to the primary care service as well.”

If someone doesn't want to or can't go to the Health Department, the Health Department will come to them.

“We can go anywhere as long as we have a confidential area where we can test people,” says Dunn.

“They (Dunn and her colleague Joan Felix-Sepulveda) go out to different areas in the community. We are looking for people who are at risk and we want to test them and we want to educate them and if they come up positive we want to link them to resources in the community,” says Dick.

These days, getting tested for AIDS is a simple, painless process. There are no needles involved and no blood. The test is done with an oral swab.

“We will go on site, test you, we will swab the cheek. It takes three to five minutes for the actual test and then two weeks later you'll get the results back,” says Dunn.

It can be done confidentially or anonymously. Dr. Kelli Maw, explains the difference. “Confidential testing means we do collect your name but it's only released to you. Anonymous means it's completely anonymous.”

Most Likely Victims Sexually active senior citizens are at higher risk than they or anyone might suspect.

“A lot of people think that because your older, your tubes are tied, the men have their vasectomies, they're not going to be pregnant so they're not going to be worried about HIV,” says Dunn.

“We probably have a number of geriatric people probably more sexually active than our kids,” says Dick. “We are living longer, healthier and with the advent of the drugs such as Viagra, we're sexually active longer in our lives. And our original partners in our life may not be with us.”

The African American community is in a very high risk category across the nation and in Hernando County. The percentage of HIV/AIDS victims could be as high as 18-19 percent.

Pastor John D. Williams Sr. of Allen Temple AME Church in Brooksville has taken in active role in getting people educated. “People are still having unprotected sex, multiple partners. There's intravenous drug use. People don't think it's going to get them. It will get somebody else. It never happens to me. And then, when you get to them it's too late.”

Williams has held awareness drives at his church. He's worked with Dunn to promote education and screening. He even had himself tested at one of the gatherings and happily admits that he is free of the virus.

It's William's hope that if people in his community knew the HIV/AIDS services were free and confidential, more would step forward. “Somebody has to sound the beacon and put it out there,” says Williams. And in African American communities there's always been a stigma too with going to doctors. And in the Latino communities with trusting health care professionals.”

Stopping The Spread

One of the most promising testing venues the HIV Outreach team has connected with is the Hernando County Jail. Dunn and Felix-Sepulveda began doing their presentations at the jail at the beginning of January 2008.

“We have a very high population of people who engage in adverse behaviors,” Stewart tells Hernando Today. “Many of them don't know what their status is, mainly because like everything that's related to health care, they're not going to spend the money because of the cost implications.”

“At first we didn't think we were going to get such a high response and now it's like we have to open up an office here, says Felix-Sepulveda. “And we also link them to other services. We're seeing them in our Healthy Start. We're seeing them outside and we're giving them the link to resources that are already there. And then the word spreads.”

Dunn and Felix-Sepulveda also want inmates to know that when the prison door opens, the health department door doesn't close.

“Our mission is to decrease the transmission of HIV and other STD's. If they need condoms, if they need to be retested, we can help them.” says Dunn.

And getting the word out to this particular “captive” population presents a substantial public health benefit to everyone in the county.

“These are our neighbors, these are our family members, these are people we deal with in our community,” says Felix-Sepulveda.

“I think it's important for folks to understand that when we're talking about jail operations, even in comparison to prison operations, the people that are in jail for the most part are going to be here for a short period of time and are immediately going back into our community,” points out Stewart. “I think the community is safer and better served today than we were six months ago.”

Back at Allen Temple, Williams and Dunn are planning a Health Summit to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 5 at Kennedy Park in Brooksville.

“Get yourself tested. It doesn't hurt. Arm yourself with some knowledge,” says Williams. “God gives life to enjoy in good health. But you've got to do something. You just can't wish it. You've got to get up off your laz-e-boy, turn off the TV and get tested. If you come up positive it's not the end of the road. It may not be full blown. It may not be the virus. And if it is the virus, you can live with the virus.”

If you are interested in getting tested for HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis, either at the Health Department, at Allen Temple, or anywhere else, call Laura Dunn at 352-450-6800 Ext 82124 or Joan Felix-Sepulveda at 352-450-6800 Ext 82173 and they will set up a time and place for you.

Virginia Diaz writes regularly for the Hernando Today Health Today section. She lives in Brooksville and can be contacted at virginia.diaz61@gmail.com.