TOLEDO, Ohio — National HIV Testing Day is Thursday, and the University of Toledo Medical Center and the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department want you to get tested to ensure you don't have an STD or HIV.
Walgreens and UTMC have partnered to offer free testing at the Monroe Street location in West Toledo; no appointment is necessary.
UTMC said that over 1 million people in the United States have HIV, and 13% of people with HIV don't know they have it. Additionally, STDs are common: according to experts, 1 in 5 people have one.
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Danielle VanFLeet, the HIV testing coordinator for UTMC, said getting tested is incredibly important.
"This is a significant event because 1 in 7 people have HIV and don't even know they have HIV," she said. "Some of this might be because when people go to get a sexually transmitted infection test, they don't realize you can only test HIV through blood."
Doctors said STDs usually show no symptoms, which is why local health leaders like Donna Fox, he HIV and STI Prevention Coordinator for Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, said why she feels it's essential to take preventative measures.
"HIV is a lifelong illness; that's the most important thing," Fox said. "So it's an infection that's treatable, but not curable. So it's essential to know your status, if you have risk factors, to know your status and to take preventative measures so that you don't get HIV."
According to UTMC, you can get tested from noon to 6 p.m., and results usually return in 20 minutes.
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