Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune - January 4, 2009
Mary Owen, mowen@tribune.com
The HIV test required a saliva swab and was completed in 20 minutes. Teens walked away with a T-shirt, candy or a pen. Many said they weren't sexually active, but thought it wise to get a free screening.
"It's good to get them in the habit even if they haven't been sexually active," said Regina Hampton, a case manager for Circle Family HealthCare Network, which administered the screenings. "You can get it from blood transfusions or a freak accident."
The screenings were part of the second annual Teen Test Day, which drew hundreds of teenagers and health experts to the South Shore Cultural Center. Last year, 650 teenagers were tested for HIV.
In recent years, about half of new HIV patients have been younger than 25, according to organizers. And the rate is highest among black teenagers.
Teen Test Day is sponsored by the Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilizations, a Chicago youth group.
Bryan Echols, the group's executive director, said HIV screening is a priority, but there are other "silent killers" such as hypertension, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Jasmeen Wellere, 15, a freshman at Hirsch Metro High School, said that her father has diabetes, but that she has never had her glucose tested.
"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't come here," she said. "I just wonder if I have diabetes, or may get it."
A nurse told Johnnie Butler, 17, an athlete at Robeson High School, that his blood pressure is normal, but that he needs to stay active.
Butler, who hasn't been to the doctor in a year, said he is trying to keep his weight down and eat healthy. But he said most teenagers usually don't think about health.
"It's not taught to them," he said. "At my school, health is not something we learn."
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