x
Breaking News
More () »

Free, confidential HIV testing at Kent County Health Department

In preparation for World Aids Day on Friday, Dec. 1, the Kent County Health Department is offering free, confidential, walk-in testing from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1.

More than one million people in the United States are living with HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Just in the last year, 47 people were diagnosed in Kent County.

In preparation for World Aids Day on Friday, Dec. 1, the Kent County Health Department is offering free, confidential, walk-in testing from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1.

You can get tested at the department's Main Clinic at 700 Fuller NE in Grand Rapids between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday (closed noon to 1 p.m.) and on Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m.

While you're there, certified counselors are available to provide advice on protecting yourself and others from HIV.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Kent County Health Department recommend that everyone know their HIV status," says Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for the Kent County Health Department in a press release. "This knowledge is essential for getting helpful therapy and for protecting others from the virus."

With the right treatment, people who are diagnosed can live long and healthy lives.

The CDC estimates one in seven people who are infected with HIV do not know that they have the disease. Left untreated, HIV can develop into Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) – which can be fatal.

If you are living with HIV and need help getting care, call the health department at 616-632-7172.

For more information, click here.

►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WZZM 13 app now.

Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.

Before You Leave, Check This Out