GREENVILLE — Nearly 40 percent of new HIV infections are spread by people who don’t know they have HIV.
The HIV/AIDS Prevention Committee (HAPC) of region 9 (Clark, Darke. Greene, Miami Montgomery, and Preble counties) recognizes National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) on June 27.
The 2023 NHTD theme “Take the Test & Take the Next Step”, stresses that knowing your HIV status helps you choose options to stay healthy. People who receive a negative test result will receive information regarding how they can take advantage of HIV prevention tools such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), condoms, and other sexual health services, such as vaccines and testing for sexually transmitted infections. People who receive a positive test result will receive consultation on next steps including how they can quickly start HIV treatment.
The letters HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), which is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. About 1.2 million people in the U.S. had HIV at the end of 2021. Nearly 40 percent of new HIV infections are spread by people who do not know they have the virus. During this same time, there were 83 new HIV infections in region 9. A total of 60 were from Montgomery County.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 13 to 64 years old get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care and that people at higher risk for HIV get tested more often. Risk factors for HIV include having vaginal or anal sex with someone who is HIV positive or whose HIV status you don’t know; having sex with many partners; and injecting drugs and sharing needles, syringes, or other drug equipment with others. Pregnant women are also encouraged to get tested for HIV so that they can begin taking HIV medicines if the test is positive. Knowing your HIV status is the first step in staying healthy and stopping the spread of HIV.
On June 27, the HAPC of region 9, in partnership with Walgreens, will participate in a special day of FREE HIV testing and education titled “Greater than AIDS” at the following store locations:
Darke County: 1000 E Main St, Greenville, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
You can also contact the Darke County Health District, 300 Garst Ave., Greenville, (937) 548-4196 for additional testing information.
