HIV in Hindsight

May 26, 2023

    I woke up bright and early today with no clue of what the day would consist of. The only thing I knew was that our visit was at a place called Apollo Positivó. When we arrived, a kind lady greeted us in a small enclosed building. We took our seats, and Vanessa stood next to the lady to translate for us. The purpose of this organization is to prevent and educate about sexual health, especially for vulnerable populations. They also offer the generic STD testing on site, along with numerous resources for safe sex. Each location is called a “CASA” named after a reference from a United States TV show. The facility was established in 1990, and initially worked to provide resources for treating HIV. It also served as a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community in times of turmoil against their population. In around 2010, they shifted their mission to prevention and education. Compared to the United States, Spain does not have as much sexual education in their schools. It is not built into the curriculum, and outside organizations usually have to come into the schools to promote safe sex. Although Apollo Positivo is not related to the hospitals, they can provide simple tests which helps prevent the stress and embarrassment of going to a hospital for an STD test. They are completely free (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, and syphilis). Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea can be provided but at an extra cost. The main thing I took away from this visit is the saying “I=I”. This means that if HIV is"indetectable it is also intransmisible". I did not know that if there is a small amount of the virus in your system it cannot be transferred. Although I did not expect much out of this visit, I actually learned tons of facts about sexual health that I didn’t know! We didn't take pictures inside the facility, but I added pictures from the day. 

This was our yummy tacos from Takos al Pastor. We needed a break from
Spanish food so we resorted to my favorite...Mexican!

This picture just brought joy to my heart. It was two men
helping each other walk.