Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Marks World AIDS Day With FREE Testing Events throughout the City

For Immediate Release: Dec. 1, 2015

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Marks World AIDS Day

With FREE Testing Events throughout the City

 

“The Only Way to Know is to Get Tested”

CINCINNATI (November 30, 2015) – In recognition of World AIDS Day (December 1) Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region is encouraging men, women, and young people to get tested for HIV.

In an effort to promote early detection and help people in the community remain healthy, Planned Parenthood will be offering FREE, rapid HIV testing throughout the city this week. In particular, the organization will be hosting an event on Fountain Square with a number of other community groups including Caracole and the Cincinnati Exchange Project to provide HIV and Hepatitis C testing, gonorrhea and chlamydia testing, syphilis testing and information on care services and harm reduction. This event will be held December 1, 2015 on Fountain Square from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

In addition, Planned Parenthood will provide FREE, rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing and information at the following other locations throughout the day. The full list of events is outlined below.

• Fountain Square, Downtown Cincinnati, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
• Miami University, Oxford, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., panel discussion starting at 7 p.m.
• Walgreens Price Hill, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.
• Northside office, 4138 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

 “In the United States, more than 1.2 million people are living with HIV, and almost one in seven don't know they are infected,” said Adam Reilly, HIV Project Manager for Planned Parenthood.  “World AIDS Day is a reminder that getting tested for HIV is an important step in both stopping the spread of HIV and taking care of ourselves.”

Getting tested for HIV is simply a basic part of taking care of your health and your body — and it’s easier than ever before:

• Getting tested for HIV is quick, simple, and painless. Rapid HIV tests can provide results in as fast as 20 minutes from just a swab inside the mouth.
• Not all medical checkups include routine HIV testing — so unless you ask to be tested, you can’t assume you have been.
• Some conversations may seem hard to have, but open communication with your partner is essential to staying healthy and stopping the spread of HIV. You can take care of yourself and your partner by getting tested before you start having sex.

“Once you know your status, there’s a lot you can do to protect your health, including practicing safer sex,” said Reilly. “And the sooner you know your status, the sooner you can get any treatment and information you might need, depending on the results. Early treatment can help prevent serious health problems down the line.”

HIV can be managed and HIV-positive individuals can live longer, healthier lives if they know their status, get into care, and stick with treatment. Getting tested is the first step to finding out if you have HIV.

Planned Parenthood offers free, rapid HIV and Hepatitis-C testing 5 days a week at the Northside office (4138 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati, OH) with hours until 8pm every Wednesday. For more information, visit ppswoHIV.org.

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About Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region

 

Serving 20 counties in Southwestern Ohio and three in Northern Kentucky, Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio strengthens the community by providing access to high quality health care and education that empower people to make informed private decisions about their reproductive lives and sexual health.  With seven health centers throughout the region, it is Planned Parenthood’s goal to provide reproductive health care services to any individual who wants or needs them, to advocate public policies which guarantee each individual's access to services, to advocate individual’s right to privacy and their ability to make reproductive decisions free of coercion, and to provide human sexuality education which enhances the health and well-being of individuals in the community. Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region is an affiliate of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

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