National HIV Testing Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 25, 2010

The health district and its partners will offer testing at the following locations:

Sunday, June 27

Canyon Ridge Church
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Free HIV testing
6200 W. Lone Mountain Rd., Las Vegas
(702) 658-2722

Monday, June 28

Southern Nevada Health District
8 a.m. – Noon
Free rapid HIV testing
625 Shadow Lane, Annex A, Las Vegas, 89106
(702) 759-0702

Richard Steele Boxing Facility
1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Free HIV testing
2475 W. Cheyenne Ave., #110, North Las Vegas, 89032
(702) 638-1308

Gay and Lesbian Center of Southern Nevada
1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Free rapid HIV testing/STD screenings/hepatitis A, B vaccines
953 E. Sahara Ave., Ste. B-25/Commercial Center, Las Vegas, 89104
(702) 733-9800

The health district encourages everyone in the community to learn their HIV status. Currently, there are more than 3,500 people living with HIV in Southern Nevada and more than 2,700 living with AIDS.

In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that voluntary HIV testing become routine for patients aged 13 to 64 to increase early diagnosis for the more than 250,000 Americans who are unaware they are HIV positive. According to the CDC, every 9 ½ minutes someone in the United States is infected with HIV.

Early diagnosis is critical for people who are HIV positive so they can benefit from treatment. It is estimated that nearly 40 percent of people with HIV are not diagnosed until they have developed AIDS, which can occur 10 years after infection.

Additional recommendations from the CDC include annual testing for individuals who engage in high-risk sexual behavior or use intravenous drugs. Pregnant women should be tested during the early months of their pregnancy to help eliminate transmission of HIV to their infants.

The Southern Nevada Health District’s Office of HIV/AIDS/STDs is located inside Annex A at the health district’s main public health center, 625 Shadow Lane. Services include confidential testing, counseling, case management and referrals. The health district offers several HIV test options, some with same-day results. In addition, testing is available at several locations throughout the community.

Updated information about the Southern Nevada Health District can be found on Facebook www.facebook.com/SouthernNevadaHealthDistrict, on YouTube www.youtube.com/SNHealthDistrict or Twitter : www.twitter.com/SNHDinfo.

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The Southern Nevada Health District serves as the local public health authority for Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. The agency safeguards the public health of the community’s residents and visitors through innovative programs, regulations, and initiatives focused on protecting and promoting their health and well-being. More information about the Health District, its programs, services, and the regulatory oversight it provides is available at www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.