Free, confidential screening offered for National HIV Testing Day
For immediate release
Fort Wayne (June 25, 2024) – The Allen County Department of Health continues its partnership with Walgreens and will provide free, confidential HIV testing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, June 27.
Results will be available in just one minute, and tests require a quick finger-stick and a drop of blood. Tests will be available at Walgreens, 110 E. Creighton Ave. (corner of East Creighton and South Calhoun Street). No appointment is necessary.
“Sexually transmitted diseases can be present, even without symptoms,” said Kathy Thornson, director of HIV/STD Prevention for the Department of Health. “Everyone should know their HIV status, and the only way to know for sure is through testing. It’s easy, and it’s the first step to living a healthy life and reducing the spread of disease.”
Also on Thursday, free hepatitis C testing will be available for those at risk. Results from those tests will be available in approximately 20 minutes.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HIV testing as part of routine health care screenings, but many people never get tested.
More than 1 million people in the U.S. have HIV, according to the CDC. About 13% of them don’t know their status and need testing.
In 2023, the Allen County Department of Health reported 42 cases of HIV.
The National HIV Testing Day Partnership is an ongoing effort among Walgreens, Greater than AIDS, local health departments and HIV/AIDS service organizations to broaden the reach of HIV testing and information in nontraditional settings. The effort also aims to help people understand the latest in prevention, treatment and care.
Other locations for confidential HIV testing include:
- Allen County Department of Health Medical Annex (by appointment)
4813 New Haven Ave.
(260) 449-7504
Visit https://gettested.cdc.gov/ to find other testing locations.
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