June 25, 2007
National HIV Testing Day
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 180,000 – 280,000 individuals in the United States are infected with HIV yet completely unaware that they are living with the virus that causes AIDS. The development of medicines for HIV have made significant improvements in the treatment of the disease but early detection and medical care make all the difference. June 27, 2007 is National HIV Testing Day, a day when groups across the country work together to promote “taking the test” and learning your HIV status.
This Wednesday, June 27th, AIDS Community Alliance, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, will offer the HIV Rapid Test at the agency’s Activity Center (250 West King Street, Lancaster). The rapid test provides individuals with preliminary results to their HIV screening in under an hour. This is the first utilization of the Rapid Test (OraQuick) in Lancaster County. The rapid test will be available on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 from 10AM – 6PM. All tests are free and confidential. Anonymous testing is available.
The symptoms of HV infection vary greatly from person to person. The only way to know for sure if an individual is infected or not infected is to muster up the courage and take the test.
According to Philip K. Goropoulos, President/CEO of AIDS Community Alliance “Part of the challenge with HIV testing has always been the waiting period for results – the traditional means of testing can take up to two weeks for the results. The long wait for results previously associated with HIV testing can be a great cause of anxiety, and honestly two weeks is a long enough period of time that some individuals forget to come in and get the results. The rapid test provides some immediate feedback to individuals getting tested.” Rapid Testing is able to provide individuals with a definitive negative result however preliminiary positive results must be confirmed by traditional methods of HIV screening.
In addition to offering testing at the Lancaster Activity Center, AIDS Community Alliance will be have testing available at the following locations throughout south central Pennsylvania (Rapid Testing is only available at the Lancaster Location):
Sadler Health Center
100 North Hanover Street, Carlisle
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Hope Station
149 West Penn Street, Carlisle
12:00 Noon - 6:00 PM
Derry Street United Methodist Church
15th and Derry Streets, Harrisburg
12:00 Noon - 6:00 PM
For more information please call AIDS Community Alliance (1.800.867.1550).