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/.

World AIDS Day - December 1

World AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) Day was established in 1988 by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness and promote advocacy and education about the global AIDS epidemic which is commemorated each year on December 1st.  In observance of World AIDS Day, McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) is offering free confidential rapid HIV testing to those individuals at high risk for infection. To determine if you qualify for free testing, call MCDH at 815-334-4847. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 1.2 million Americans are infected.  One in 5 is unaware of their infection, with about 50,000 becoming newly infected every year.  The Illinois Department of Public Health reports there are 123 people in McHenry County living with HIV, 72 of which have advanced to AIDS.  

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 or call MCDH at 815-334-4500.

World AIDS Day Observed

Today, December 1, McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its partners will observe World AIDS Day to raise awareness of the global impact of HIV/AIDS.  CDC works with Ministries of Health and other public health partners, through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, to combat HIV/AIDS by strengthening health systems and building sustainable, evidence-based HIV/AIDS programs in more than 75 countries in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. 

Worldwide, 33.4 million people are living with HIV.  In the U.S., an estimated 1.1 million people are living with HIV. Of those, as many as 1 in 5 people (21%) are unaware of their HIV infection.  An estimated 56,300 Americans become infected with HIV each year.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a lot like other viruses, including those that cause the flu or the common cold. But there is an important difference – over time, your immune system can clear most viruses out of your body. That isn't the case with HIV – the human immune system can't seem to get rid of it.  HIV testing is important because finding new HIV infections means people can get lifesaving treatment early and can take steps to protect their loved ones from being infected.  MCDH’s HIV program offers free HIV testing by appointment (815-334-4500) which includes the development of a risk reduction plan and referral to other community services as needed.  Community HIV education is also available.

To learn more about HIV/AIDS, how it is and is not transmitted, the risk factors for HIV transmission, preventing transmission and the symptoms of HIV infection, visit www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic.