For Immediate Release: June 9, 2016 Contact: Leslie Piotrowski (847) 377-8055
The
Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center (LCHD/CHC), the Lake
County Stands Against Stigma Coalition and other community partners have
organized a free health fair in observance of National HIV Testing Day. The event will be held on Monday, June 27,
from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., on the front lawn of the Belvidere Medical
Building, 2400 Belvidere Rd., Waukegan (near the corner of Belvidere Road and
Keller Avenue).
In
addition to free health and community resources, free HIV tests (for people 13
and older) and hepatitis C tests (for people 18 and older) will be
available. A finger stick will be used
for the HIV and hepatitis C testing. Results are available within 20 minutes.
Information about viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections will also
be available.
This year marks the 21st annual National HIV
Testing Day. This day is a reminder that
when you know your HIV status, you can take care of yourself and your partner. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get
tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care and that some
people with risk factors get tested more often. In the
United States, nearly 1.1 million people are living with HIV, and nearly one in
five do not know they are infected, according to the CDC.
The Health Department’s Sexually
Transmitted Infections Program offers free HIV counseling and testing Monday
through Friday at the Belvidere Medical Building. Information about hepatitis
and screening for sexually transmitted diseases is also available. For more information contact the STI Program
at 847-377-8450, or visit: http://www.lakecountyil.gov/1897/Sexually-Transmitted-InfectionHIV-Preven.
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