Greene
County Combined Health District Announces
AIDS Awareness Week May 2 – 6
(XENIA, OH) Greene County Combined Health District (GCCHD) announces AIDS Awareness Week May 2 – 6, 2005.
Reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2003 the estimated deaths due to AIDS was 524,060 of which 5,492 were children under the age of 13.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), one of the largest health concerns in the U.S. today. HIV destroys the immune system, rendering those infected defenseless against opportunistic infections that can cause death. HIV does not discriminate against gender, age, race or background. In the U. S., between 850,000 and 950,000 people are living with HIV including 180,000 to 280,000 who do not even know they are infected.
AIDS is now one of the main causes of death among women and men age 25 to 44 in the U. S. It is among the top ten causes of death for children age 1 to 4 years. In 2003, 123,711 people over age 65 were infected with HIV. It is increasing among racial and ethnic minority populations, in the rural communities, and most drastically among heterosexual women and teenagers.
How is HIV transmitted? A person may become infected with HIV through a variety of activities: body piercing; tattooing; unprotected sexual practices; and drug use, including the use of non-injection drugs (which includes alcohol). Alcohol can impair one’s ability to make a safe decision. Pregnant women may also pass the virus on to their unborn babies.
The Greene County Combined Health District is dedicated to keeping the public healthy by offering confidential or anonymous HIV testing and counseling. This program is FREE of charge to anyone age 13 and older. Counseling is designed to provide a safe environment to talk about the risks of the HIV infection, how to lower risk and stay healthy, and provide information concerning HIV and AIDS. The testing procedure involves a simple oral saliva swab with results returned in one week. For a small fee, a test can be give (a sample of blood from a finger stick) and results can be given within a 20-minute time frame.
Testing is scheduled each Wednesday afternoon at Greene County Combined Health District located at 360 Wilson Drive, Xenia. Testing is also provided at ten additional sites in Greene, Fayette, and Clinton counties. To schedule an appointment or for more information, call the HIV Testing and Counseling Program at (937) 374-5600 or toll free 1-866-858-3588.
Greene County Combined Health District – Your center for public health services and health information in Greene County for over 70 years.
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