Free HIV testing offered by the Sarasota County Health Department for national HIV testing campaign

SARASOTA, Fla. - If you need an HIV test, the Sarasota County Health Department is offering a free test and you will get the results the very same day. It's all part of the national HIV testing campaign.

Member organizations of the HIV-AIDS Network of Southwest Florida will offer the free HIV testing to the public at the Sarasota County Health Department located at 2200 Ringling Blvd. in Sarasota. It's happening on Wednesday, June 27, from 8:30 am-noon.  

And if you cannot make it on Wednesday, the next free testing will be Saturday, June 30, 10 am-2 pm at Bethlehem Baptist Church located at 1680 18th Street in Sarasota.

The Sarasota County Health Department also regularly offers testing at no charge on a walk-in basis for four sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV. Testing is provided from 1-4 p.m. Mondays, 8:30 a.m.-noon Wednesdays, and 1-6 p.m. Thursdays.

Health officials note that this year marks the 31st year since the start of the AIDS pandemic. Despite advances in testing and treatment, many people who are HIV positive still do not know it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of five people living with HIV in the United States are unaware of their HIV status.
 
The risk factors for HIV infection are having unprotected sex and sharing needles or syringes. If persons have never been tested, or had unprotected sex or shared a needle since their last test, now is the time to get an HIV test. Knowing their HIV status can help them get into a medical treatment earlier, take steps to stay healthy, and keep from spreading the virus to others.
 
HIV testing is fast and easy. The Clearview® HIV Test, done with a finger prick, provides preliminary test results in only 5 minutes. This testing will be available at the special testing events sponsored by the Sarasota County Health Department and Community AIDS Network. The Rapid OraQuick HIV Test, also done with a finger prick, provides preliminary test results in 20 minutes and is routinely used at the walk-in testing clinic at the Sarasota County Health Department's downtown Sarasota location.
 
Test results are always kept private and are not shared with anyone, including family members, significant others, employers or landlords. Local health department officials offer the following recommendations to reduce risk for HIV infection:
 
Be safe: The best way to prevent HIV is to abstain from having sex. If you do have sex, use a new condom every time. Do not share needles or syringes for any reason, whether to inject drugs (recreational or medical) or for tattoos and body piercing.
 
Talk about it: Talk about sex and HIV with your partners. Find out when they were last tested for HIV and what their status was. HIV is primarily spread through four fluids -- semen, vaginal fluids, blood and breast milk.
 
Talk to your doctor: If you are sexually active, you should get tested for HIV at least once. Do not assume your doctor will ask you to be tested for HIV. Women who test positive should get treatment during all pregnancies and not breastfeed their babies.
 
Locally, the HIV/AIDS Network of Southwest Florida works to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS at the grass-roots community level. The group meets monthly to coordinate HIV/AIDS prevention and outreach services throughout the region. For more information on HIV testing opportunities throughout the year, call 941-861-5000 or visit the HANS website at  http://www.hivsarasota.org .