National HIV Testing Day is Thursday, June 27, and the Dade County Health Department, 71 Case Ave., Ste., H-100 in Trenton, will be offering free HIV testing from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
“On this annual observance, we encourage people to get tested for HIV, know their status and get into treatment right away if they have HIV,” says Health Department Nurse Manager Tammy Franklin.
Ms. Franklin encourages people to get tested for HIV in a way that is comfortable for them.
“You can test at the health department, at another testing site or even at home. You can test alone or go with a partner, friend or family member. However you choose to do it, get tested and know your current HIV status,” Ms. Franklin says.
Officials said, "About 1.1 million people in the United States have HIV, and 1 in 7 of them don’t know they have it. People with HIV need to get a diagnosis as soon as possible so they can get treatment. Taking HIV medicine as prescribed can keep them healthy and protect their partners. Nearly 40 percent of new HIV transmissions in 2016 came from people who didn’t know they had HIV.
"The CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care and those at high risk get tested at least once a year. Some sexually active gay and bisexual men may benefit from more frequent testing (every three to six months)."
For more information about free HIV testing at the Dade County Health Department on June 27, call 706-657-4213. For more information on HIV testing, visit https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/testing/index.html.