The Norwalk Health Department is offering free rapid Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing in support of World AIDS Day on Friday, December 1, 2017. World AIDS Day takes place on December 1st of each year, uniting people across the globe to fight against HIV, to show their support for people living with HIV, and to remember the lives lost to AIDS-related illnesses.
“HIV is a preventable disease,” explained Kaitlin Latham, Health Education Associate. “The Norwalk Health Department works diligently to educate the public about the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV, through our preventable diseases division. This division also links individuals with HIV to the medical care and services that they need.”
On December 1, free rapid HIV testing will be offered at the Health Department from 1:00pm – 4:00pm. No appointment is necessary.
In addition to this free testing on World AIDS Day, the Health Department offers a walk-in STD clinic on Monday and Friday mornings from 9:00am – 11:30am and on Wednesday afternoons from 3:00pm – 5:30pm. The fee for STD testing is $10 per visit, and testing services are available to males and females thirteen years of age and older.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 17 million people across the globe that are living with HIV do not know they have the disease. A simple blood test can tell you if you are HIV positive. Testing is particularly important because early stages of HIV often have no signs or symptoms. Early detection can help prevent the spread of HIV to others and reduce the number of major complications associated with the disease.