Cobb & Douglas Public Health (CDPH) will be providing residents with two days of free HIV testing & counseling in honor of World AIDS Day in Cobb and Douglas counties.
The testing events will be held on Tuesday, December 1 at both the Marietta Public Health Center in Cobb and the Douglas Public Health Center in Douglasville from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Free HIV testing will also be held on Wednesday, December 2 for the first time ever at the South Cobb Public Health Center in Austell from noon to 5 p.m.
WHAT:
Free HIV testing & counseling
WHEN:
Tuesday, December 1, 2015 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Two locations
Wednesday, December 2, 2015 from Noon – 5 p.m. – One location
WHERE:
| Marietta Public Health Center Building B 1738 County Services Parkway Marietta, GA 30008 |
December 1, 2015 | 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. |
| Douglas Public Health Center 6770 Selman Drive Douglasville, GA 30134 |
December 1, 2015 | 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. |
| South Cobb Public Health Center 875 Six Flags Drive Austell, GA 30168 |
December 2, 2015 | 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. |
More than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection, and almost 1 in 8 of those individuals do not know they have the disease. The Georgia Department of Public Health’s (DPH) 2013 HIV Disease Surveillance Survey indicated Georgia as the fifth leading state in the nation for new rates of HIV infection, and as part of Metro Atlanta, Cobb and Douglas counties contribute to these high rates.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), men accounted for 80 percent of all new HIV infections in Georgia alone during 2013, and the rates of infection disproportionately affected African-American/Non-Hispanic males. African-Americans made up 66 percent of those living with the virus in the state, yet they comprise only 31 percent of Georgia’s overall population. Nationwide, roughly one out of every two individuals living with HIV were African-American in 2013.
“Georgia, and in particular the Metro Atlanta area, is greatly affected by HIV infection, and unfortunately the disease impacts men and African-Americans more than anyone else – including in Cobb and Douglas counties,” said Rachel Franklin, Director of Epidemiology at CDPH. “Prevention through testing, counseling and safer sex education is of course the goal of public health, but what a lot of patients affected by the virus don’t realize is that there is hope after infection.”
Viral suppression, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure (PEP) drugs – when taken regularly – help to reduce the risk of transmission, and ensure that those affected by HIV live longer, healthier lives.
“But to take that step, you have to get tested and know your status,” she said.
Cobb & Douglas Public Health’s testing, counseling and outreach efforts surrounding HIV includes educational materials such as pamphlets, safe sex items like condoms available at no charge to the public and knowledgeable, compassionate counselors that can help guide residents through next step options, or discuss risk-reduction techniques.
Testing during the World AIDS Day events is free and open to everyone. There are no needles involved and results are confidential and ready within 20 minutes.