The theme of the national testing day is “Take the Test & Take the Next Step” as an effort to highlight the importance of knowing your HIV status, consistently testing, and making sure you know how to choose options that help you stay healthy.
HIV, which can lead to AIDS if not treated, is more common in the area than it was in previous years.
According to data from Public Health—Dayton & Montgomery County, the southwest region of Ohio’s HIV incident rate has increased since last year.
At the end of 2021, there were 83 new documented HIV infections in Region 9 for the year, and 60 of them were from Montgomery County.
From 2022 to now, there have been 121 documented cases throughout Region 9 since April.
Making sure that you are constantly being tested if you are higher at risk of HIV, or making sure that you test as part of your routine health care, is essential to staying safe, officials said.
Risk factors of HIV include having vaginal or anal sex with someone that may be HIV positive or whose HIV status you may not know, having sex with multiple partners and sharing drug equipment.
The CDC recommends that everyone 13 to 64 years old gets routinely tested, as 40% of HIV cases are spread by people that are unaware they have the virus.
Recognizing when you may show symptoms and knowing your HIV status is the first step in stopping the spread of HIV, the health department said.
Locations offering free HIV testing today
All times 10 a.m.-5 p.m. unless otherwise notes
Clark County: 1880 S Limestone St., Springfield
Darke County: 1000 E. Main St., Greenville
Greene County: 537 W. Main St. Xenia
Montgomery County: 5045 N. Main St. Dayton
Montgomery County: 1542 Wayne Ave. Dayton
Miami County: 20 W. Market St., Troy
Preble County: 1213 N Barron St, Eaton, 10 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
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