FAU’s Today & Beyond Wellness Center, along with radio station X102.3, handed out free concert tickets for the Show U Know concert for three months. The catch? Everyone had to get a free HIV test in order to get a ticket.
The Show U Know concert will be held on June 27 at Mills Pond Park in Fort Lauderdale. Artists such as Trick Daddy, Pitbull, Casely, Black Dada and special guest Ricky Smiley will be performing.
According to Jenna Beckwith, health promotions coordinator, HIV is prevalent in Florida, ranking in at number 3 within the 50 states. 50 percent of those HIV cases occur in the tri-county area of Broward, Dade and Palm Beach. Ages 18 to 24 are at a higher risk of becoming infected.
“HIV is something FAU students should be aware of because of their age, demographic and location,” explains Beckwith.
The Today & Beyond Wellness Center organized the event for National HIV Testing Day (June 27). The last day of testing was on June 25 in the Breezeway.
Since April 1, the Center has tested over 130 students and distributed over 80 tickets. Some of the students declined tickets since they were only interested in the opportunity for free HIV testing.
“We are trying to make it as fun as possible. Getting tested is something to be proud of. You’re being sexually responsible. The concert is a good way of rewarding people for getting tested,” says Beckwith.
Students had no need to worry about blood work being done when getting tested. The Today & Beyond Wellness Center did all HIV testing by OraQuick oral swabs, and results were given within 30 minutes.
Overall, 3,000 people were tested in the tri-county area for this event and over 1,000 were first-time testers.
For more information on the concert, visit their Web site at www.showuknow.org or contact Jenna Beckwith at [email protected].
