Health District encourages everyone to get tested
National HIV Testing Day, June 27
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 25, 2012
LAS VEGAS – National HIV Testing Day is Wednesday, June 27. The annual event is an opportunity for everyone to learn his or her HIV status. The Southern Nevada Health District encourages everyone to get tested. More than 8,500 Clark County residents have been diagnosed with HIV and/or AIDS. The health district’s new Sexual Health Clinic located 400 Shadow Lane, Ste. 106, offers HIV testing and clinical services including case management and referrals. For additional information, contact the clinic at (702) 759-0702, visit www.SNHD.info, or email STDClinic@snhdmail.org.
Additional free HIV testing is available during National HIV Testing Day:
Wednesday, June 27:
1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Richard Steele Boxing Gym
2475 W. Cheyenne Ave., Ste. 120, NLV, 89032
(702) 638-1311
9 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Charlie’s Bar 5012 Arville St., LV 89118
(HIV testing only)
The Sexual Health Clinic also offers STD services including testing, treatment, exams, referrals and counseling; the cost is $30. The clinic is open 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday – Friday. STD and HIV/AIDS services continue to transition from the East Las Vegas Public Health Center to the Sexual Health Clinic. Sexual health services are no longer available at the Henderson Public Health Center. Services were temporarily offered at these locations as a result of the closure of the health district’s main facility in April.
HIV testing is the key to prevention as the CDC estimates that one in five people with HIV in the United States are not aware they are infected and could be passing the infection along to their partners. 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. New treatments developed in the mid-1990s have allowed HIV-positive people to live longer, healthier lives.
The CDC recommends 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.
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 The health district is now available in Spanish on Twitter www.twitter.com/TuSNHD. Don’t have a Twitter account? Follow the health district on your phone by texting “follow SNHDinfo” to 40404.
Visit the Media Contacts webpage for media related inquiries.
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.