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Contact: April Hight at (616) 632-7172 or at April.Hight@KentCountyMI.gov
Kent County Health Department Offers Free, Walk in Testing Opportunity in Recognition of World AIDS Day December 1st, 2022
(GRAND RAPIDS) In recognition of World Aids Day, the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) will be offering a free walk-in HIV testing event on Thursday, December 1st, 2022, from 12:45 until 4:30 p.m. at the KCHD main clinic located at 700 Fuller NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503. Our certified test counselors will be there to provide testing, answer your questions, and connect you with the services you need.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in eight people living with HIV in the U.S. do not know they have the disease. Testing is the only way for someone to know their status and take the steps necessary to stop the spread of the HIV virus.
Since the first known cases of HIV were identified, more than 32 million people have died worldwide from AIDS related illness. Fortunately, there have been significant advancements in treatment and prevention. Today there are tests that can detect HIV within minutes. There is treatment for people living with HIV that will prevent the virus from growing so that the person will not get sick and cannot spread the virus. PrEP is available for those who are at risk for HIV infection to prevent them from getting HIV. However, an average of 40 people a year are still diagnosed with HIV in Kent County. Kent County and surrounding counties continue to have a higher percentage of new HIV diagnosis who also receive an AIDS diagnosis than most Michigan counties. “These individuals are likely to have an already effected immune system and have likely been living with HIV for an extended period of time,” says April Hight, Personal Health Services Supervisor at KCHD. “HIV can often go undiagnosed because there may not be any obvious signs and symptoms. That’s why it’s important to get tested regularly, especially if you have multiple sex or needle sharing partners.”
World Aids Day takes place each year on December 1. Started in 1988 as an international day to recognize people around the world who have been affected by HIV, World Aids Day seeks to raise awareness that HIV remains a global health issue.
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