National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) is held annually on June 27. Sedgwick County Division of Health (SCDOH) Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic will support this effort by offering free conventional HIV testing on Wednesday, June 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 2716 West Central. Walk in or call for appointment at 316-660-7300.
NHTD began in 1995 to promote HIV testing and early diagnosis in an effort to maximize testing opportunities. About 1.1 million people in the United States have HIV, and 1 in 7 of them doesn’t know it. Young people are the most likely to be unaware of their HIV infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. But some people are more at risk of getting HIV than others and should be tested at least once a year. (1)
HIV can be hard to detect without proper testing. As such, testing is important not only for HIV but for all sexually transmitted infections (STIs). To be most effective, treatment should begin as soon as possible because HIV medicine and medication for other STIs can keep you healthy for many years and reduces the risk of transmission to others.(2)
The CDC recommends testing for everyone who is sexually active, or who shares needles, or who is in contact with blood. This year’s theme of Doing It My Way, Testing for HIV, reminds us that each person has their own reasons why they test for HIV and what it means to them. (2)
(1) https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/statistics.html
(2) https://www.cdc.gov/Features/hivtesting/