In a time when COVID-19 and HIV are still spreading, a new Black woman-owned business is encouraging people to know their status.

Trinish Sanjurio, owner of Phleb Express, opened a express testing site Wednesday, providing rapid COVID-19, pregnancy, HIV and HEP-C testing.

What You Need To Know


  • Phleb Express is a Black woman-owned business that provides express testing of HIV, Hepatitis-C, Pregnancy and COVID-19

  • The testing site's owner says she was inspired by a friend and her own fear of testing 

  • Now she's working to give the community courage to be tested and education to replace the stigma

Sanjurjo said her passion for testing comes from her own struggles with stigma.

“I was one of those people that was afraid to get tested and then I met Kareem Everett,” she said.

She said when she met Everett at an event about HIV, her passion for education and testing was ignited.

“When I spoke to her about my status, it opened up her eyes and she said 'I want to get into this work,'” said Kareem Everett.

Sanjurjo said Everett gave her the courage to get tested.

Now she’s focused on spreading awareness, reducing fear and giving that courage to her community.

“It’s the fear of not knowing and a lot of people would like to say 'oh well I’d rather not know' but in the inside, you're tearing your body apart,” said Sanjurjo.

“The stigma in the community has to stop. Know your status. It’s better to know then not know,” said Everett.

Pleb Express is so dedicated to making sure people get tested, that in addition to their Monday through Friday schedule, they’re also on-call 24 hours a day.

“At that moment of time, you can say ‘oh yeah I want to get tested’ then in the morning you won’t want to do that. So that’s why it’s important to get tested when that person is ready to be rested,” said Sanjurjo.

She said teaching teens sex education is in her future, saying whether it’s HIV, COVID or HEP-C by taking the first step of testing.