Cobb & Douglas Public Health distributed the following announcement about the availability of free HIV testing:

Thursday, June 27 is recognized as National HIV Testing Day, a day to highlight the importance of HIV testing and early diagnosis and to link people to care and treatment. Cobb & Douglas Public Health (CDPH) invites the community to visit Good Samaritan Center at 8366 Grady St., in Douglasville on June 26 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and Walgreens located at 2390 South Cobb Drive, in Smyrna on June 27 from 2 to 6 p.m., for free HIV testing.

The 2024 HIV Testing Day theme is “Level up your self-love: check your status.”  HIV testing, especially self-testing, helps people to make healthy decisions, regardless of their test result. People who test negative can take advantage of HIV prevention tools, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and condoms. People who test positive can rapidly start HIV treatment such as antiretroviral therapy (ART) to stay healthy and reduce transmission. It is important for people to take the next step, no matter their test results, to help end the HIV epidemic in the United States.

CDPH aims to engage with the array of diverse communities in Cobb County to End the HIV Epidemic (EHE), a federal initiative to eradicate HIV by 2030. Cobb County has been identified as one of the 48 counties with the highest incidence of HIV infection in the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that only 87% of the 1.2 million people living with HIV in the U.S. are aware of their HIV status. The Georgia HIV Surveillance Summary Report states that 67% of the 2,575 people diagnosed with HIV in 2022 were among people of color.

“It is vital that we continue to educate the community about HIV and HIV prevention methods that are available. Increasing condom usage, learning more about PrEP, and getting tested regularly are simple yet effective tools to ensure that everyone can maintain their optimal sexual health and wellness,” said Karrie Reed, CDPH EHE Director.

CDPH continues to offer free HIV testing at the Marietta, Smyrna, Acworth-Kennesaw and Douglas Public Health Centers, Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Services have expanded to include free OraQuick HIV self-test kits. These are available for pick up or delivery.

For more information, visit www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.org or call 770-514-2815.

About Cobb & Douglas Public Health
Since 1920, Cobb & Douglas Public Health, with our partners, promotes and protects the health and safety of the residents of Cobb and Douglas counties. We work to achieve healthy people in healthy communities by: Preventing epidemics and spread of disease; Protecting against environmental hazards; Preventing injuries; Promoting and encouraging healthy behaviors; Responding to disasters and assisting in community recovery; Assuring the quality and accessibility of health care. By excelling at our core responsibilities, we will assist our residents in living healthier, longer and more rewarding lives.

About Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE):
Cobb County has been identified as one of the 48 counties in the nation with the highest incidence of recent HIV infections. The other counties in Georgia include Fulton, DeKalb, and Gwinnett. The EHE initiative aims to reduce the number of new HIV diagnoses by 75 percent within five years and by at least 90 percent within ten years. For more information, visit www.cobbehe.org.

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