Public Health HIV/STD treatment and resource center program manager John Dax Moreno said they have distributed Ora-Quick Advance HIV testing devices to five clinics in the CNMI — the Women’s Clinic at the Commonwealth Health Center, the Southern Health Clinic in San Antonio, the Adolescent Health Center at Marianas High School, the Tinian Health Clinic and the Rota Health Clinic.
Moreno said in an interview last week the Southern Clinic reported one individual who took the rapid test.
At the Women’s Clinic, family planning nurse Erly Marquez said there were nine persons, mostly young adults, who took the rapid screening test.
Marquez said the test is offered to anybody who comes to the clinic.
Most of the time, she said they tell their clients to inform their friends and relatives about the new service they offer.
Public Health said through the rapid screening test, it takes only 20 minutes to find out if somebody is positive with HIV.
The local population, according to Moreno, is undertested for HIV, which is a challenge for Public Health.
