National HIV Day raises awareness of disease in BK

Many people turned out Friday for events on National HIV Day in hopes of being tested and garnering more information about health-related questions. Angelo Quinones, who visited an HIV-awareness street

News 12 Staff

Jun 27, 2008, 11:56 PM

Updated 5,942 days ago

Share:

Many people turned out Friday for events on National HIV Day in hopes of being tested and garnering more information about health-related questions.
Angelo Quinones, who visited an HIV-awareness street fair in Coney Island, says that as a dad the testing is necessary.
?I have two kids, so I [need to] make sure that I am healthy myself and I want to know if I got it or not,? he says.
Organizers at the Brooklyn event say a steady stream of people volunteered Friday to be tested for HIV.
In the Bronx, some say they have already gotten the message to be tested.
?I watched the news yesterday and it said that all Bronx residents should be tested so I immediately came out for my test,? says Malikah Hameed, who went to the Soundview Health Clinic.
The NYC health department says the Bronx has the city?s highest level of AIDS-related deaths and is encouraging residents to be tested. To facilitate that effort, the city is launching a borough-wide initiative for testing.