La Salle County Health Department offers free HIV testing

June 27 is National HIV Testing Day, an annual occasion to encourage people to get an HIV test.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. People at higher risk should get tested more often. The goal of the campaign is to identify people who don’t know they are HIV positive so they can access treatment.

La Salle County Health Department offers free rapid HIV finger stick tests and encourage interested individuals to come between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 27. Appointments are strongly recommended to ensure adequate staffing. According to the CDC, almost 40% of people with HIV are not diagnosed until they already have developed AIDS. That can be up to 10 years after they have become infected with HIV. In the United States, nearly 1.1 million people are living with HIV, and about 160,000 don’t know they are infected.

While tremendous strides have been made in treating HIV disease and related infections, those advances mean little to someone who doesn’t know they are infected. If you have ever had unprotected sex with someone who uses injectable drugs, if you have ever shared needles, if you are a man who has ever had sex with another man, or if you have other factors that put you at risk for HIV infection, you should consider getting an HIV test. More tools than ever are available to prevent HIV. In addition to limiting your number of sexual partners, never sharing needles and using condoms correctly and consistently, you can reduce your risk.

To learn more information about HIV, contact the La Salle County Health Department at 815-433-3366. You can also access our website at www.lasallecountyil.gov or follow the agency on Facebook/Twitter.