Monday is National HIV Testing Day

Local health organizations will be offering free HIV testing Monday as part of National HIV Testing Day.

People tend to forget that HIV is out there, says Virginia King, prevention coordinator for Lowcountry AIDS Services. LAS is a nonprofit group providing support to people with AIDS, as well as leading prevention programs in the Charleston area. “Young people aren’t seeing a lot of messages about HIV, so they think it must be going away,” King says.

In fact, the number of cases in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester has increased. The Department of Health and Environmental Control found 231 cases in the three-country region in 2008-2009. That’s a five percent increase over 2002-2003.

LAS will be at Trident Technical College campus on River Road from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in building 410, room 130. They also offer free screenings at the LAS office: 3547 Meeting Street Road, North Charleston. Tests are confidential and results are available in 20 minutes.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control is also hosting two free HIV testing sites in the region, particularly targeting minority communities. DHEC will be at at 1750 Remount Road in Hanahan from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at the John L. Dart Library at 1067 King Street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

HIV Testing Day is organized by the National Association of People with AIDS.

NAPWA President and CEO Frank Oldham Jr. says in a statement that testing saves lives. "Knowing your HIV status and seeking medical treatment in the event of a positive test not only extends survival for the person diagnosed, but it also helps stop the spread of the disease by empowering people living with HIV/AIDS to reduce transmission,” he says.

Approximately 21 percent of the 1.1 million Americans living with HIV are unaware of their HIV status, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It recommends testing at least once for anyone  ages 13 to 64.

For more information, call the South Carolina AIDS and STD hotline at 800-322-2437. For more information on getting tested, visit hivtest.org.