Free HIV tests a great resource for community
County offer should encourage people to get tested
About 1 in 8 people in the United States who have HIV don’t know they have it.
The Yuma County Public Health Services District (YCPHSD) is hoping to change that number by offering free and confidential rapid HIV testing this week.
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells, or T cells, HIV.gov reports. Over time, so many cells are destroyed that the body can’t fight off infection and disease.
HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) if left untreated. HIV is permanent — once one has it, one has it for life. However, with proper treatment, it can be managed and controlled with antiretroviral therapy, which can prevent HIV from progressing to AIDS.
The HIV virus is spread through specific body fluids — blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids and breast milk, most commonly through unprotected sex, or sharing needles or syringes. It can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding, or by being stuck with an HIV-contaminated needle or other sharp object.
It is not spread by hugging, or shaking hands or sharing bathrooms, nor is it spread through mosquitoes or ticks, nor can one catch HIV through the air, HIV.gov reports.
But to prevent the spread of HIV, one has to take precautions. That means using condoms, limiting the number of sexual partners, and not injecting drugs or sharing needles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It also means getting tested for HIV, and finding out where you stand healthwise. Then one can take appropriate measures to protect yourself and those you love.
Yuma County’s effort to offer free testing this week is a great resource for the community, and one of which Yumans should take advantage.
To make an appointment or to learn more, call the health department at (928) 317-4540. Walk-ins are also welcome between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. through Friday, at 2200 W. 28th St., Suite 178.