Talking about HIV – It’s uncomfortable. It’s necessary. It’s lifesaving.
The Lake County Health Department, in partnership with HIV awareness group The Aliveness Project, is offering free HIV testing to Lake County residents in recognition of National HIV Testing Day on June 27. The effort comes at a time when testing remains uneven, stigma persists in communities of color, and health officials are working to close long-standing gaps in access to care.
National HIV Testing Day, observed annually, raises awareness about the importance of HIV testing, and promotes early diagnosis and treatment of HIV.
The Lake County Mobile Clinic will offer free testing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Walgreens parking lot located at 6905 Kennedy Ave. in Hammond.
HIV continues to disproportionately impact Black communities in Indiana and across the country. African Americans were diagnosed with HIV infection at more than seven times the rate of white Americans in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. Black men were nearly eight times more likely than white men to be diagnosed, while Black women were 10 times more likely than white women.
Northwest Indiana — designated by the state as Region 1, which includes Lake, LaPorte, and Porter counties — has the second-highest rate of people living with HIV in Indiana, behind only the Indianapolis region, according to the Indiana Department of Health.
In Indiana, about 783 out of every 100,000 Black residents live with HIV — more than seven times the rate for white residents, according to the state health department.
Tammy Morris, executive director of the Aliveness Project, began working on the HIV/AIDs epidemic in the 1980s. She said that times have changed in Gary to increase accessibility and decrease stigma.
“When AIDS became in the forefront, it hit Gary really hard,” she said. “And it was so many men and women finding out that they had AIDS that there were not enough providers and not enough medication to even take care of them back then, and the doctors didn’t know what to do, because doctors weren’t trained back then.”
But now, she says, people can simply take one pill instead of 20 to live their fullest lives. And while this sees us getting closer toward not having HIV, outreaching to Black and brown communities — which need it the most — is still a challenge.
“Our people of color have to get on board and wake up and start getting out of denial and get tested, follow the instructions, and yes, we will get to zero,” she said. “But it has been a real struggle with our Black and brown communities, and it has to do with stigma, and our agency is working harder to normalize people living with HIV, and they’re thriving.”
The Aliveness Project, based in Hammond, has provided HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness education and support to residents of LaPorte, Porter, and Lake counties for more than 30 years.
Antoinette Cardenas, chief operating officer and program director for the organization, said that getting tested is necessary for everyone.
“Everybody is HIV possible,” Cardenas told Capital B Gary.
“So get tested, know your status, and if you’re negative, let’s talk about PrEP,” Cardenas said, referring to a daily pill that could reduce the risk of HIV infection.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone ages 13 to 64 be tested for HIV at least once in their lifetime, to ensure early detection and prompt connection to care.
“HIV testing is an act of self-love. It is a powerful expression of self-respect, compassion, and care, not only for oneself, but for our community,” the Lake County Health Department said in a statement. “Knowing your HIV status is a key step in protecting your health and the health of others.”