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County Health Departments, Clinics Offering Free HIV Testing

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Several Florida Department of Health locations are recognizing Wednesday, June 27 as National HIV Testing Day with free testing throughout the week.

“Some people avoid getting tested because they are afraid of testing HIV positive,” said Human Services Program Director James Roth in a news release. “What many do not know is that with the right medication, HIV can become undetectable in lab tests. If HIV is undetectable for six months, it becomes untransmittable.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all individuals 13–64 years old be tested for HIV at least once during their lifetime, and persons at increased risk for HIV infection be tested at least once a year.

Florida has more than 1,400 registered HIV test sites, including at county health department locations and community-based organizations, which provide confidential testing services at low or no cost. Last year, more than 340,000 HIV tests were conducted through Florida’s registered HIV test sites. Testing is also available at doctor’s offices and other healthcare facilities.

You can find locations that offer testing year-round here

Locations offering free tests for National HIV Testing Day include:

Hillsborough County

June 27 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

DOH-Hillsborough

1105 E. Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa.

Pinellas County

June 29 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Walgreens

3350 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg.

Pasco County

June 27 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

10841 Little Road in New Port Richey.

I took my first photography class when I was 11. My stepmom begged a local group to let me into the adults-only class, and armed with a 35 mm disposable camera, I started my journey toward multimedia journalism.
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