Clinics all over Jacksonville will be administering HIV tests on the house this week. Friday, June 27 is National HIV Testing Day, and dozens of clinics, drug stores and mobile units will offer free testing.
Dr. Max Wilson, program administrator for disease control at the Florida Department of Health in Duval County, said the annual event is the most important day for HIV testing.
He said people in Jacksonville have a reputation for discovering they have HIV very late, after they’ve been sick a while, but free-testing initiatives encourage the community to test early.
“One of the things that we want folks to know it that the HIV epidemic in Jacksonville is actually on a relative plateau and one of the reasons why that’s the case is because folks are engaging in early testing,” Wilson said. “We’re actually starting to show some progress in the prevention of early testing.”
Wilson is encouraging anyone and everyone to take advantage of this chance to test for free.
“HIV Testing Day is an opportunity to step out of your routine, do something you might not normally do and take the test.”
Community partners throughout Northeast Florida will have their doors open for free HIV testing. Find a participating location near you on the map below.
INTERACT: Check out a Google map of all the local locations offering free HIV testing on June 27
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