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M.I.S.T.E.R. (Men’s Information Services: Testing * Empowerment * Resources), a program of Positive Impact, Inc., is funded by multiple State, Federal and Foundation grants to provide a comprehensive range of services to meet the vast and unique needs of the gay and bisexual male community of metropolitan Atlanta. These funding sources include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), the Fulton County Human Services Grants, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National AIDS Fund, the Pfizer Foundation and the M*A*C AIDS Fund, as well as private donations and fundraising events.
Under the MISTER Project, there are three major programmatic areas:
TESTING
HIV Testing: MISTER offers free rapid HIV testing on a walk-in basis Monday through Wednesday 10 AM to 7 PM, Thursday and Friday 10 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday 10 AM to 2 PM. The Testing Center utilizes the OraQuick rapid HIV testing protocol, which means once the oral swab is collected, you get your results in approximately 20 minutes! If the test result on the oral swab is preliminarily reactive (positive), an additional specimen is obtained which takes about 20 minutes to process. If that is also reactive, an additional oral swab is collected and sent to the State Laboratory for confirmatory testing. Confirmatory results take approximately 3 to 5 days. While the Testing Center does not offer medical treatment, referrals are made to medical providers and, for those clients who qualify for Ryan White care, all the necessary paperwork is completed for you and an appointment is scheduled for you to meet with a medical provider. You will receive professional and caring support throughout the entire process by our trained HIV Pre/Post Test Counselors.
STD Screening: MISTER offers free screenings for sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhea, syphilis and Chlamydia on a walk-in basis Tuesday and Wednesday 2 PM to 7 PM and Thursday and Friday 12 PM to 5 PM. A blood specimen is required for the syphilis screening and a urine specimen is required for gonorrhea and Chlamydia screening. Results are typically available within 7 to 10 days. While MISTER does not currently offer medical treatment, anyone receiving a positive STD test result at MISTER will be linked to one of our referral partners for medical treatment to get you with the best healthcare provider for you and your circumstances. The Men’s Health STD Clinic at MISTER offers screenings for syphilis, gonorrhea and Chlamydia, STD education regarding symptoms, transmission and treatment options for sexually transmitted infections, and linkages to care for medical treatment of STD’s. At this time, STD screenings are only available to gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Referral options for STD screening are available for women and for men who do not have sex with men from our Health Care Specialist.
EMPOWERMENT
There are multiple opportunities for gay and bisexual men to come together and share information and learn, and to grow stronger by facing such issues as internalized homophobia, low self-esteem, domestic violence, substance abuse, dysfunctional relationships, and societal oppression.
One such opportunity is the Friend to Friend event. This event involves meeting once a week for four weeks with like-minded men discussing the above-noted issues. This culminates in a 90-minute wrap-up session to discuss lessons learned and experience and skills gained, and perhaps to even share how new friendships have been formed with other men during the experience.
Another opportunity is the Relationships, Intimacy & Sex Experience for Gay & Bisexual Men, or RISE. The RISE project is designed to help gay men better understand relationships and dating, self-esteem, homophobia, sexual identity, communication, and negotiation skills. The group experience promotes and reinforces support of each other. The experience includes presentations by the facilitator, group discussion, video presentation, and an opportunity for participants to share their own stories, to role-play scenarios, and perhaps even make a new friend.
RESOURCES
Unfortunately, Atlanta is one of a few major cities in the U.S. that does not have a vibrant Gay and Lesbian Center where individuals can go for information on everything from HIV and STD services to safer sex information to free condoms and lubricants, to where to find gay-friendly restaurants and other businesses, local gay bars and clubs, information about social groups such as the leather community, the bear community and transgendered individuals. The MISTER Project attempts to fill some of that gap by providing gay and bisexual men in metropolitan Atlanta with that kind of information. Our motto is: “Anything a gay man wants to find in Atlanta, he can find at MISTER.” If we don’t have the information or know the answer when you contact us, we will work to find it for you!
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