South Arkansas Fights AIDS is on a mission to see that everyone who needs to determine their HIV/AIDS status is offered a free, oral test to detect the virus. SAFA also wants to educate the public about ways to avoid contracting the disease and to help those already infected/affected with HIV/AIDS, said Janet Beane, director.
The SAFA office, located at 526 W. Faulkner in El Dorado, is open from 10 until 11:30 a.m. and from 1 until 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Walk-ins for tests are welcome during SAFA office hours and appointments for tests can be made by calling 870-875-2099. Results from HIV tests can be determined in 20 minutes after the oral swab.
National HIV Testing Day is held every June 27 to remind those who might have had risky behavior that HIV testing is crucial – the sooner a person with the disease knows, the sooner they can begin to take life-lengthening medicines.
The National Association of People with AIDS founded National HIV Testing Day in 1995 and the theme for this year is “Test Your Way. Do It Today.”
In addition to free HIV tests, SAFA also offers direct services for those infected with the virus, including a monthly food pantry, money for gasoline to travel for doctors’ appointments, assistance in paying utility bills, prescription co-pays, and nutritional supplements.
“Many people do not know they have HIV,” Beane said. “An estimated 1.1 million people are living with HIV and one in six don’t know they are infected. Getting tested is the first step to finding out if you have HIV. If you have HIV, getting medical care and taking medicines regularly helps you live a longer, healthier life and lowers the chances of passing HIV on to others.”
In 2017, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 12 new AIDS cases and 40 new HIV cases in the Southwest Public Health Region of the state, which includes Union County.
Every year, SAFA provides HIV prevention programs for individuals and groups and participates in local health fairs, handing out brochures and pamphlets about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Beane said many of SAFA’s clients suffer from problems associated with no or very low income, substance abuse, mental illness and homelessness. There is a critical need for the services SAFA offers local residents living with HIV/AIDS.