June 27 Is National HIV Testing Day: Why You Should Get Tested
Related Links
For information about HIV and HIV testing, call the Division of Disease Prevention Hotline at (800) 533-4148 or visit http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/diseaseprevention. Virginians can also visit http://www.HIVTest.org to find an HIV testing center by Zip code. A listing of National HIV Testing Day events in Virginia is also available on this Web site. Events are subject to change.
Published: June 25, 2009
Updated: June 25, 2009
The message is simple: get tested for HIV.
Every 9 ½ minutes, someone in the United States is infected with HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. In Virginia, the State Department of Health reports that one out of every 370 Virginians has the virus. Based on CDC national estimates that 21 percent of those who are infected with HIV/AIDS are unaware of that, VDH estimates that 5,500 Virginias do not know that they are infected with HIV/AIDS.
The health department urges all Virginians between the ages of 13 and 64 to be tested for HIV, in accordance with the latest CDC guidelines.
“Treatment of HIV/AIDS is more effective when it begins early. While we are concerned about every case, we especially want to reach those people who have HIV but are unaware of their infection,” said Kathryn Hafford, Director of the VDH Division of Disease Prevention. “Early detection and use of medical services can delay the onset of AIDS. HIV-infected persons who know their status also are much less likely to transmit the infection to others.”
This Saturday, June 27, is National HIV Testing Day. Community-based organizations and local health departments are sponsoring events to increase awareness of HIV and to encourage testing. Many locations will offer free, confidential testing and others will provide oral, rapid, or anonymous testing.
“Stigma continues to be a challenge in combating HIV,” Hafford said. “Some people avoid testing for HIV because they are uncomfortable bringing up the topic with their health care provider. We hope to reduce the stigma by making HIV testing a routine part of medical care, just as cholesterol tests or blood pressure screenings.”
Among the most effective prevention measures are:
• Knowing your HIV status
• Protecting yourself and others from HIV
• Mobilizing to overcome the challenges and barriers to HIV prevention , including access to care
• Ensuring that HIV prevention and testing services, medical care and treatment are available
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Reader Reactions
Where can I find Test sites in TN?
Post sex STD tests are a strategy—but what do they cause a person to do? Give up sex? Have less sex? Have more sex in order to “get even”?
Testing before sex is a way to keep some sex from happening, and, consequently, prevent an STD. Post sex STD tests don’t do that. Pre sex STD tests will save some lives—some people will back out of the possibility of sex with that partner. Others may be way more cautious. Still others might wait for non-HIV STDs to be cured, if available.
http://notb4weknow.blogspot.com
BJ1971, being faithful to your spouse is not always a sure fire way of not contracting this disease. When you sleep with someone what they may have can be carried with you for years. As this test may be costly I would recommended anyone who has been with anyone else other than their spouse in the past to have this test done. There are people who walk around every day with diseases that they have no idea they have got. Also there are other ways of contracting this disease, I myself worked in a hospital facility in the area and was stuck by a needle that was left by another nurse in a patients bed. Therefore the testing began and so on. Like I said you may not always know what you are carrying around with you as far as diseases, they dont jump out and yell “hey I am hear.“ You may have an idea where and who you have been with in your life but can you guarantee who the other party involved in your life has been with and who? NOT ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!
Ok well now this is a stupid post. Most if not all people know if they are at risk for aids. People with many sexual partners, or those who share needles, or people who may have had a blood transfusion are the ones at risk. The common person isnt at risk and does not need to be subjected to this costly test. ITs just more money to pay for nothing. Anyway to get needless money from people anymore. Its a shame. Noone else needs to be tested for HiV except those i mentioned. If your married and having sex with only your spouse, dont do drugs, and havent had a blood transfusion, then you have no need for this test. That is if you trust your spouse. Otherwise the whole freaking lot of us need tested.
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