On National Women and Girls HIV Awareness Day the US Office on Women’s Health asks us, “What’s your deciding moment?”. This question provokes a huge issue for our community – what are we doing to stop the spread of HIV?
Recently, 58 students from Everett High School brought their deciding moment to Square One Mall, where they performed a smartmob to encourage community members to seek information about HIV and get tested at local Cambridge Health Alliance health centers.
Dancing to the inspirational lyrics of Katy Perry’s “Firework”, the Helping Hands at Work afterschool club with the help of fellow EHS students spread messages of hope, respect, compassion, and support to those infected with or getting tested for HIV. In the Everett community, the rate of people living with HIV is higher than the Massachusetts average.
Right now, more than 290,000 women and girls are living with HIV in the US, and almost half of new HIV infections occur among youth ages 15-24. With these startling statistics in mind, the EHS student group Helping Hands at Work (HHW) enlisted EHS students to stand up against HIV – and they ask you to do the same. Get information. Get tested. Make your deciding moment happen today.
Free, confidential and rapid HIV testing is available at:
Everett Teen Health Clinic
100 Elm Street, Everett, MA
617-843-0700
M-Th 8-4 pm, F 8-3pm
Ages 12-24
Revere Family Health Center
454 Broadway, Revere, MA
781-485-8222
M-F 8-5pm
All ages
Malden Family Medicine Center
195 Canal Street, Malden, MA
781-338-0500
M-F 8-8pm
All ages