Capital Region Agencies Offer Free HIV Testing

Free HIV Testing Events Scheduled From June 23 -29

Once again, local health and human service agencies concerned with the continuing epidemic of HIV/AIDS are cooperating to mark National HIV FREE testing day. FREE HIV Testing will be available at a wide variety of locations throughout Albany, Columbia and Rensselear County between June 23 and June 29. Each location is offering free, anonymous or confidential HIV testing using the oral swab rapid HIV test that provides results in 20 minutes. This year many testing locations are offering gift cards to people who have the HIV test.

National HIV Testing Day is an annual campaign coordinated by the National Association of People with AIDS to encourage people of all ages to "Take the Test. Know Your Status." Agencies cooperating to present this week of FREE HIV testing include the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York , Columbia County Department of Health, Hudson Housing Authority, , New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Services, the Women's Health Project, Trinity Alliance and Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood. The coalition of organizations worked together to offer more than 30 free testing locations.

A list of local locations is available at several of the participating agency websites including www.uhpp.org. A National HIV Testing Day web site provides information on FREE HIV testing sites throughout the country at http://www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/testing/#about and this year, there is even a Mobile option for finding out about testing locations. Send a text message with your ZIP code to KNOWIT (566948) to find an HIV testing center near you.

Early HIV diagnosis is critical, so people who are infected can fully benefit from available life-saving treatments. Currently, more than 1.1 million people have HIV and more than 200,000 people do not know. Finding out whether you are infected with HIV is the first step to improving your health and the health of your partners and your family.

For more information, contact Blue Carreker at Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood at 434.5678, ext 133.