Pride Center Testing Adds Locations Throughout Broward County
Photo: Listron “Blue” Mannix 
Recently, Pride Center Testing (PCT) began off-site HIV counseling and testing in several new locations throughout South Florida.
The Club Fort Lauderdale, a local private gentleman’s club, welcomed PCT to provide testing services on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight and at the popular Sunday poolside barbeque from 12 noon to 5 p.m. PCT added three private testing sites through Broward Addiction and Recovery Centers in Coral Springs and Fort Lauderdale. The Pride Center now also provides weekly testing at Ana G.
Mendez University in Miramar on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and provides testing at Florida Atlantic University health fairs and other local events.
“We’re excited about these expansion opportunities,” says Listron “Blue” Mannix, Minority Testing Initiative Manager for the Pride Center. “As we further develop our relationship with the communities we serve, Pride Center Testing will flourish. We continue to encourage the community to seek testing. We commit to providing timely results and offering thoughtful, compassionate counseling. We continue our role in the overall strategy to fight HIV/AIDS in our communities.”
In 2008, the Center began off-site testing — in addition to its popular on-site Rapid HIV Testing — at the Cooperative Feeding Program, a local homeless shelter. The Center continues to test there every Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Center also began testing at the Black Banana Night Club in 2008. Since then, PCT has been involved in testing at community events, health fairs and other organizational locations.
“Over the years, we’ve developed a good reputation and relationship both with the Florida Department of Health (DOH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allowing us to become a leading provider of HIV testing, counseling, referral and linkage to care in the community,” says Mannix. “We’ve been doing this well for over 15 years.”
At the Equality Park campus on Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors, the Pride Center’s free Confidential Rapid HIV Testing hours for walk-ins are Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 noon to 4:30 p.m.
For additional information, please email FreeHIVTest@pridecenterflorida. org or call (954) 566-3553.