World AIDS Day: Raise Awareness and Get Tested!

There are approximately 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in this country. Unfortunately, young people still make up about 40 percent of all new HIV infections and 545,000 of the total number are African Americans. HIV/AIDS is a huge epidemic in our world that should never be overlooked, that is why December 1st is World AIDS Day!

World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to raise awareness about this pandemic and unite in the fight against HIV. We’ve made great progress so far, but there is still much work to be done.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois is committed to providing women, men, and teens with the care they need to stay healthy and safe. Among our many services, we provide education and access to contraception that will help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Many people don’t know that we also provide rapid HIV testing and counseling at all of our locations.

Rapid HIV testing can be done with a blood sample taken from a finger stick. The results are available in 10-40 minutes. Counseling and confidential (private) testing for HIV are provided by trained staff that is sensitive to your needs and concerns.Thankfully, even more people will be able to access this type of care under the Affordable Care Act.

In honor of World AIDS Day, we encourage all people, regardless of age, to get tested for HIV/AIDS at your local health provider. Knowing your status can make a big difference in preventing the spread of this infection. Together, we can take the steps to achieve making this the healthiest generation.

Don't forget to join us at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago this Saturday, December 1 for a health initiative workshop for teens girls and young women. The workshop will cover AIDS prevention, we hope to see you there!
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This post was created by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA). PPIA is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL).

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