Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – On Friday, January 24, 2020, the new SETAC Mobile Testing Unit made its first excursion to Zona Romantica. SETAC Dr Jorge Ruiz and 8 volunteers setup the HIV testing center van, provided condom distribution and information about PREP on Lazaro Cardenas Street with amazing results. Dozens of people came for testing, and hundreds of free condoms were distributed.
SETAC, Puerto Vallarta’s LGBT wellness center, now has a way to vastly increase the scope of its health services both here in Vallarta and in outlying communities across the state. The new Mobile HIV and STD Detection Unit, an enormous van earned through a statewide call for proposals by the Jalisco State Government for nonprofit associations, has been delivered and has already made its inaugural visit to the Community!
The Mobile HIV & STD Detection Unit will be officially presented to SETAC in a ceremony in Guadalajara and then be available for use in bringing health and testing services to marginalized populations in Puerto Vallarta’s outlying areas and small towns in the coastal and mountain regions of Jalisco.
The van has been outfitted with a full-size exam table, medical cabinet, sink with running water, even a mini-refrigerator for storing medicines and blood samples.
SETAC medical and testing staff will use the unit to conduct rapid testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, take and transport blood samples for other infections back to the laboratory, treat or begin treatment for some of those infections on the spot, as well as link patients to other health resources in their area. This effort will also support and supplement the work of other government-funded health agencies.
SETAC has launched a new 2020 Annual Giving Campaign to collect additional funding to support the Mobile Testing Unit’s mission to bring much-need health services to under-served and marginalized communities. The campaign is designed for individuals and companies wishing to donate on a regular and automatic basis (monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or annually).
For more information, visit SETAC’s donation page. This support will be used to buy medications and medical supplies, gasoline and maintenance for the van itself, as well as the extra personnel needed to staff the van. SETAC leaders expect the van to be used at least once or twice per month in early 2020, gradually ramping up to 3-4 times per month.
To see more photos of SETAC’s new Mobile HIV and STD Detection Unit, visit GayPV.com.
Located at Aldanaca 178 4A & 4B, in the Colonia Versalles of neighborhood of Puerto Vallarta, SETAC is a non-profit community and wellness center whose mission is to reduce HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in the greater Banderas Bay region through education, detection and prevention. Free counseling, testing, treatments and referrals for HIV and other sexual transmitted illness are just some of the free services SETAC provides to the entire population, without prejudice or discrimination. For more information, follow SETAC on Facebook, visit the website, call (322) 224-1974 or email contacto(at)setac.com.mx.
