Students participate in the Jamaica Red Cross World AIDS Day march from Dunrobin High to Devon House in St Andrew yesterday. The march formed part of the nation's World AIDS Day activities. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Several hundred people yesterday got tested for HIV/AIDS during an exhibition hosted by the Ministry of Health to commemorate World AIDS Day.
The activities were held at Devon House, off Waterloo Road in St Andrew.
Kayan Lue, field coordinator for the National HIV/AIDS programme, told The Gleaner that the target was 1,000.
Testing began at 10 a.m., and around 4:30 p.m., at least 700 people had been tested, according to Lue.
Among the hundreds who got tested was a 19-year-old student, Mandy Graham.
Graham told The Gleaner she has been sexually active for four years and this was the first time she was being tested for HIV/AIDS.
"I am just relieved now that I know my status and I hope to maintain it," she said.
Graham said she has only had unprotected sex once.
Howard McKenzie, 39, also did his first HIV/AIDS test yesterday.
"I am just curious to know," he said.
There were also familiar faces among the batch being tested: Josette Williams, , and Tanneshia Burton, 26, were having their fifth and fourth tests, respectively.
"I do regular checks just to make sure," Burton said.