Posted on November 18, 2014
Source: Ann Schraufnagel
This is exactly why you wanted to be a part of Generation Tomorrow, I told myself that night. It was my first night recruiting people to get tested for HIV, and I stood inside of a gay club. In a club; out of the rain; in an unfamiliar scene; out of place. The music played so loud that I had to shout if I wanted anyone to hear me asking if they wanted to get tested for HIV.
As a medical student, I met many patients infected with HIV. Most often, these patients were thin and sick looking. One 20-year-old girl had been kicked out of her house a few years before for having HIV. In the hospital, her CD4 count of 2 had allowed HIV to affect her brain. She stared at the wall in front of her and barely responded to people around her.
The young people in the club could not have been more different. I could feel their energy, their excitement to be out celebrating together. It was the end of the night, and I stepped into the now light rain to see if anyone outside might want to get tested before going home. Despite hours of trying, I was still nervous: no one I had asked wanted to get tested so far. Three people stood together, and before I could approach them, the guy said to me “Hey! Can I still get tested tonight?” I felt all of the nervousness melt away as we chatted while walking to the testing van.
Primarily, Generation Tomorrow empowers young people to take control of their health. But for me, it has facilitated an increased level of comfort when working with new groups of people and is preparing me to be a better physician in the future.
