Press Release
JUNE 11th, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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CONTACT: TIM O’CONNOR
PHONE:561-355-3576
FAX:561- 355-3038
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PALM BEACH
COUNTY, FL- HIV and
other Sexually Transmitted
Diseases are the focus of
this year’s HIV Test Day
June 27. 26 sites
coordinated by the Palm
Beach County Substance Abuse
Coalition and Palm Beach
County Health Department
will be offering free
testing throughout the day.
Each year about 2% of the people tested find out that they
are HIV positive. This
number along with those who
have a clinical diagnosis
results in almost 400 new
cases reported annually.
Currently, over 2700 people
are living with HIV and
another 4000 have AIDS.
Persons involved in the
research and tracking of
this disease estimate there
are another 1700 people in
the county unaware they are
HIV positive or have AIDS.
“We have found that offering free and routine testing helps
to reduce the stigma
associated with HIV testing.
We hope that more will take
advantage of this simple
preventive measure. If a
person knows their status it
can lead to a longer life
with treatment.” Said Health
Department Director Jean M.
Malecki, MD, MPH,
This year a number of sights are also offering STD testing
for Hepatitis A, B, C, and
Syphilis? Although treatable
it is very important to get
tested for these and other
STD’s like gonorrhea and
Chlamydia as it can stop the
1,000 new infections
annually.
“I would like to see everyone tested as an annual routine,”
said Dr. Malecki. “But
especially those who have
participated in unprotected
sexual activity, shared
injection needles during
drug use, tattooing, or
piercing or had a blood
transfusion prior to 1985.”
View the list of
testing sites
or by calling 211
or through the following
websites,
www.pbchd.com,
www.hivtest.org,
or
www.PBCSAC.org.
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