Today is HIV Testing Day

From the Polk County Health Department: 

While today has been declared the 19th annual National HIV Testing Day, every day is a testing day at the Polk County Health Department.

Testing is important for all people who are sexually active. Getting a negative test result can confirm information that sexual partners have shared with each other about their testing history or provide important health information in the absence of conversations about testing history between partners. It is also important to stress the long-term benefits of HIV testing, care, and treatment. HIV testing gives people living with HIV an opportunity to be connected to treatment and give them the support they need to remain in care and to take their medications appropriately. Currently, nearly three out of every four people living with HIV in the U.S. do not successfully navigate the stages of care, which are: HIV testing and diagnosis; actively linking those who test positive to care; retaining them in care over time; providing ART; and achieving “viral suppression” by using treatment to keep HIV at a level that helps individuals stay healthy and reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to others.

The Polk County Health Department does HIV testing at the clinic located at 1907 Carpenter Ave in Des Moines. Walk-in appointments are available Monday through Friday from 9-4 and until 6 on Tuesdays. 

Rapid HIV tests are available to people living in Polk County for $5 and results are back within 20 minutes. The $5 fee also includes Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis testing. The fee is $25 for those living outside Polk County.

Testing is free for individuals considered at high risk which includes people who are African American, Hispanic, have shared drug equipment, have had a STD in the last 12 months, use intravenous drugs, have exchanged sex for money, and men who have sex with men or people who have a partner that fits any of the previous descriptions.