At the King Street, downtown Kingston, branch, the team aimed to test 400 persons. However, by the close, a total of 454 tests had been done.

The event was the second of its kind hosted by Scotiabank in collaboration with National HIV/STI Programme in the Ministry of Health and the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV and AIDS. It was conducted one day ahead of the internationally observed HIV-testing day.

Roshane Reid, behaviour change communication officer at the National HIV/STI Programme, explained, however, that the event was targeted mainly at men.

"We want to get the males involved, because the 2008 knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviour survey shows more women test for HIV than men," she said.

Great turnout

Reid was nonetheless upbeat about the turnout. "It's much more than last year," she said, as she looked around at the people who were busy joining the lines to get tested.

Excited participants stood as curious passers-by stole gazes. They were not shaken. One man, who resides in the Corporate Area, was especially enthusiastic as he arrived more than 15 minutes before the scheduled start and waited about an hour into his work time.

"It's better to know than not to know," he told The Gleaner.

kimesha.walters@gleanerjm.com