RALEIGH, N.C. – Free HIV testing will be offered around the Triangle Friday as part of National HIV Testing Day.  

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The event was started in 1995 by the National Association of People with AIDS as a way to encourage at-risk individuals to get voluntary testing and counseling.

 

According to the Alliance of AIDS Services – Carolina, there have been 28,485 cases of HIV diagnosed in our state, but 7,700 do not know they are infected. Durham County is ranked 10th and Wake County is ranked 13th in North Carolina for the rate of AIDS cases per 100,000 population.

 

Of the 4,823 people diagnosed with HIV in Wake, Durham and Orange counties:

 

- Approximately 2,849 are African American

- 259 are Hispanic

- 1,209 are female

- 3,107 are male

 

There are generally two different types of HIV testing.   The following information is provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

 

The EIA (enzyme immunoassay), used on blood drawn from a vein, is the most common screening test used to look for antibodies to HIV. A positive (reactive) EIA must be used with a follow-up (confirmatory) test such as the Western blot to make a positive diagnosis.

 

The rapid test is a screening test that produces very quick results, in approximately 20 minutes. Rapid tests use blood from a vein or from a finger stick, or oral fluid to look for the presence of antibodies to HIV. As is true for all screening tests, a reactive rapid HIV test result must be confirmed with a follow-up confirmatory test before a final diagnosis of infection can be made. These tests have similar accuracy rates as traditional EIA screening tests.

 

HIV Testing is available in numerous other locations, including many “non-traditional” sites, said Carlotta McNeill, director of Prevention Education for the Alliance of AIDS Services.   A non-traditional site is one that is located outside a hospital, health department or doctor’s office. 

The following locations are participating in the free nationwide event:

 

- Forest Hills Shopping Center, Garner 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

(sponsored by the Wake County Human Services)

 

- Lincoln Community Health Center, Durham, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(sponsored by Alliance of AIDS Services - Carolina)

  

To find a location near you, visit the CDC’s HIV and STD Testing Resources’ website.