Free AIDS Testing From Jefferson Co. Public Health

GOLDEN, CO -- World AIDS Day is observed each year on Dec. 1. The day is one to remember those who've died of AIDS, as well as unite for a cure for HIV and show support for those living with HIV.

The Jefferson Co. Dept. of Public Health offers free AIDS testing at the JCPH’s Lakewood Clinic Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The clinic is located at 645 Parfet St. Walk in or call 303-239-7078 to set up an appointment.

Around 25 percent of the people who have HIV are unaware. Worldwide, more than half the people with HIV are women. The only way to know for sure whether you have HIV is to get tested, the JCPH said in a statement. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested for HIV at least once.

There are more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. living with HIV. That’s roughly twice the population of Jefferson County — or about half the people living in the Denver Metro Area, the Jefferson Co. Dept. of Public Health website says.

The number of new HIV infections has started to decline around the world. There are ways to prevent the virus. For five years, the pre-exposure medication Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), a once daily medication taken to prevent HIV, has been on the market. Other ways to lower risk of HIV are correct condom use, knowing your HIV status and others'.

The JCPH announced that a breakthrough this year will help support those living with HIV and help dissolve stigma.

In September 2017, the CDC announced that people living with HIV who adhere to their medication and maintain an undetectable viral load “have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV negative partner.” This announcement shows that treatment has health benefits to both individuals and the community, reinforces the fact that those living with HIV and their partners can lead healthy, long lives and is a major step toward helping reduce stigma.

In addition to HIV testing, JCPH provides the following care and prevention services, they said in a statement:

• Prescription of PrEP
• Testing and treatment for other sexually transmitted infections, by appointment and with walk-in hours on Fridays from 12-3:30 p.m.
• A syringe services program to offer access to new syringes and injection equipment, and free and confidential HIV and Hepatitis C testing to participants
• Linkage to care to help individuals newly diagnosed with HIV, and those who have not been in medical care, become established with a provider to begin or resume treatment