McHenry County Health Department Offers HIV Testing During December-Appointment Needed

In observance of World AIDS Day (December 1), McHenry County Department of Health is offering free rapid HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) testing by appointment during the month of December to those at high risk for infection. Contact Christina Hayes at 815-334-4500 to make an appointment.  World AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) Day was established in 1988 by the World Health Organization to raise awareness and promote advocacy and education about the global AIDS epidemic.  This year’s theme is “Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-free Generation”

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Getting HIV tested can give you some important lifesaving information and can help keep you—and others—safe.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that health care providers test everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 at least once as part of routine health care.  HIV is spread through unprotected sex and drug-injecting behaviors, so people who engage in these behaviors should get tested more often. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, there were 123 individuals in McHenry County living with HIV as of December 31, 2013. Three people were newly diagnosed in 2013
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Ensuring people have the information, motivation, and skills necessary to reduce their risk continues to play an important role in preventing the spread of HIV.  The best way to protect yourself is to know your HIV status and that of your partners.  Most people change behaviors to protect their partners if they know they are infected with HIV. For more information, visit http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/.