According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV, and one in seven individuals are unaware of their infection. In Mississippi, more than 10,000 residents are effected by the virus, The Mississippi Department of Health reports.

This Thursday is National HIV Testing Day, an effort to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and promote testing and early detection.

According to HIV.gov, a website providing information and resources about HIV and AIDS maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the annual event is, “a day to encourage people to get tested for HIV, know their status and get linked to care and treatment.

In the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2022 HIV Surveillance Report, Mississippi was ranked the 6th highest in the nation for the total number of new diagnoses of HIV infection among adults and adolescents. After the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national and state emergency in March 2020, access to health care services, including HIV testing, prevention and care-related services, was reduced or temporarily suspended, making tracking of statistics on HIV and AIDS more challenging.

That’s why testing is vital.

Why is HIV so prevalent in the Southern part of the U.S.? Our region has high poverty, uneven medical care, many rural areas with transportation and visibility issues and a population with less health insurance coverage.

The tragic fact is that a simple and relatively inexpensive test might be the difference between life and death, yet many people may not know that testing is available free of charge in several locations.

All county health departments in Mississippi offer HIV testing as a regular clinical service, as well as testing for numerous other sexually transmitted diseases. That includes testing at the Lauderdale County Health Department, located at 5224 Vally St. in Meridian.

MSDH also works with multiple other organizations and groups to help provide free testing to those who need it. For more information about HIV testing, visit msdh.ms.gov/hiv.

In many pockets of our community, the stigma against HIV/AIDS remains strong. It often forestalls many people from seeking testing.

Get tested and know your status. Encourage your partners and family members to do the same. It’s about generating awareness and erasing stigma.

CNHI News Wire