Charlotte, NC – The Mecklenburg County Health Department, in collaboration with other local AIDS service organizations, is providing free and confidential HIV/AIDS testing at several locations around the county June 27 - 29.
HIV/Aids Testing Day is an annual event intended to raise awareness of one's HIV status and to encourage at-risk individuals to get tested.
Mecklenburg County has nearly 4,000 residents who are infected with HIV and there are potentially many more that are unaware of their infection. Getting tested now enables people with HIV to protect their health and that of their partners and enables others to get the information they need to stay uninfected.
In addition, everyone tested for HIV/AIDS will also be checked for syphilis. Syphilis cases are closely related to the incidence of HIV/AIDS. The number of cases in Mecklenburg County has risen dramatically in the past couple of years. This spike in reported syphilis cases is particularly prevalent in the African-American community and in (MSM) men having sex with men.
Free and confidential testing will take place:
Wednesday, June 27:
Northwest Health Department, 2845 Beatties Ford Road, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Wal-Mart Parking Lot/Mobile Unit, 3240 Wilkinson Boulevard, 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Lesbian and Gay Community Center, 1401 Central Avenue, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Thursday, June 28:
Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson, 212 Gamble Street, 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday, June 29:
Metrolina AIDS Project, 127 Scaleybark Road, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Radio station WPEG-FM, Power 98 will broadcast from the Northwest Health Department on June 27 from 9 - 10 a.m.
The Mecklenburg County Health Department thanks the many partners participating in National HIV/AIDS Testing including Project Muse, the Metrolina AIDS Project, Regional AIDS Interfaith Network, the Charm Project, Brother 2 Brother, Wal-Mart, the Rosedale Infectious Disease Clinic and the Regional AIDS Consortium.
For more information about testing sites, or to schedule an appointment at the Health Department, call 704-432-TEST. To learn more about HIV/AIDS, visit the Web site www.meckhealth.org.
