Jan 3, 2009 4:44 pm US/Central
Teens Take Charge of Their Health
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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A device used in National Teen Test Day organized by the Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization.
CBS
A group of teens are taking charge of their health. Saturday, hundreds of them were tested for sexually transmitted diseases – including HIV, as CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports.
Nineteen-year-old Allen Linton got an AIDS test this weekend. All it took was a quick swab on the inside of his cheek, and it was done.
Allen is part of the Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization. He and several other Chicago area teenagers organized the "Teen Test Day," at the South Shore Cultural Center.
"It's a day that's built on teen leadership and that teen leadership is transferring into real results," said event organizer Allen Linton.
Sixteen-year-old Richard Woods has a very personal reason for being screened for HIV.
"I recently talked to one of my friends and he had it, and he recently committed suicide. I told a lot of my friends to come here and get tested – I think it's very important," said test recipient Richard Woods.
The teens at the event are not only getting tested for sexually-transmitted diseases, but they're receiving one-on-one counseling and they're getting information about how to live a healthy lifestyle.
"It's essential, even younger than the teenage years, for these kids to start getting into their minds, that their body is a temple," said Dr. Damon Arnold, the Illinois Department of Public Health director. "Their mind, their spirit, their physical self is a temple that they have to take care of."
Rhonda West says she came to the event because of her family medical history. Rhonda says she's teaching her daughter what it takes to stay healthy.
"I have a 13-year-old and I'm going to have her seated here in a minute to make sure she gets tested for the diabetes and blood pressure," West said.
Seventeen-year-old David Scott was screened for the AIDS virus. He encourages all teens to do what he did.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," Scott said. "It's just a few minute test. There's nothing to hide; nothing to worry about."
Scott says the fight against any disease; knowledge is power.
This is the second year the Metropolitan Are a Group for Igniting Civilization hosted the National Teen Test Day.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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