National HIV Testing Day

What: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one out of five people living with HIV in the U.S. are unaware of their HIV status. National HIV Testing Day is an opportunity for people nationwide to learn their HIV status and to gain knowledge to take control of their health and their lives. In observance of National HIV Testing Day, the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department’s Communicable Disease Unit will be offering free confidential HIV/STD testing. Rapid HIV test results are available.

When: Saturday, June 27
10 am - 5 pm
No appointments will be made, walk-ins only

Where: RBJ Health Center
15 Waller St.
Austin, TX 78702

Who: All individuals who are sexually active and do not know if they or their sex partner(s) are infected with HIV.

Why: Today there are an estimated 1.039 million to 1.185 million HIV-positive individuals living in the United States—the largest number ever—according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of these, between 252,000 and 315,000 people do not know they are infected, and thus are suffering from a lack of treatment, while at the same time may be unknowingly spreading the virus.
Within Travis County since 1999 when HIV case reporting began there has been a cumulative 1,527 cases of HIV reported.  Men who have sex with men continue to be the greatest reported risk factor with 65 % of the reported cases of HIV being attributed to this exposure category. Of the 1,527 cumulative HIV cases reported, 86% were male and 53% were White Non-Hispanic. Blacks make up less than 9% of the Travis County population (2008 census estimates), but were 21% of the HIV cases reported. Hispanic/Latinos make up 33% of the Travis County population and were 25% of those reported as infected with HIV. In 2008 there were 165 HIV cases reported in Travis County, 3% more than in 2007 with 160 HIV cases reported.