Get a Free HIV Test for National HIV Testing Day

HIV prevention and treatment have taken great strides over the last few decades, but there is still much to be done. In the United States alone, there are currently more than 1.1 million adults living with HIV and approximately 36,000 new diagnoses per year, according to recent data from the CDC.

Among those who have HIV, it is estimated that about 1 in 8 of them (13%) do not know they have the infection. This creates a significant opportunity for the virus to unknowingly spread to others.

Getting tested for HIV is essential for stopping the spread of the virus, but also for ensuring early access to lifesaving treatment. When HIV infections are caught early (before severe damage to the immune system has occurred) and treated with appropriate medications, overall life expectancy is comparable to that of the general population.

With National HIV Testing Day coming up on June 27th, now is a great opportunity to both raise awareness and get tested. To that end, Sex and Psychology has partnered with STDcheck.com to provide free HIV tests to readers of the blog during the months of June and July.

How do you know if you need an HIV test? The CDC recommends that everyone aged 13-64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. So, if you’ve never been tested before, now is a good time.

The CDC also recommends testing at least once per year for those at elevated risk. See here for a comprehensive list, but this includes men who have sex with men, persons who have had more than one sexual partner since their last HIV test, injection drug users, and persons who have had sexual contact with partners whose sexual history is unknown.

Also, even if you are in a monogamous relationship, it is important to get tested to confirm your status (and your partner’s) if you have never been tested before. Monogamy does not guarantee protection against HIV or other STDs if one or both partners began the relationship with an infection or if sexual infidelity has occurred at some point.

When you get tested for HIV, it is worth considering a broader panel of STD testing as well, given that cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia have recently reached record highs in the United States. Also, if you have another STD, this can potentially increase your risk of contracting HIV.

To receive your free HIV test, call STDcheck.com at 1-800-456-2323 and let the customer service representative know that you are a reader of the Sex and Psychology blog.

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