Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Department of Health joins a coalition of health providers and other partners across the country taking part in National HIV Testing Day Friday, June 27th.
As part of this effort to raise awareness and promote prevention of HIV, TDH is teaming up with Walgreens and Greater Than AIDS to provide free HIV testing at sites across Tennessee June 26th-28th. TDH encourages all sexually active Tennesseans, regardless of age, to get tested for HIV.
“We urge all Tennesseans who are sexually active to take responsibility for their health and the health of their partners by making HIV testing a standard part of their health care routine,” said TDH Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH. “Knowing your HIV status is crucial to slowing the epidemic of HIV and AIDS in our state, our nation and the world.”Free HIV testing will be provided June 26th-28th at the following Tennessee Walgreens locations in partnership with local community-based organizations:
Address | City |
1388 Volunteer Parkway | Bristol |
1 Medical Park Blvd. | Bristol |
3605 Brainerd Road | Chattanooga |
110 North Market St. | Chattanooga |
1202 South James Campbell Blvd., #24 | Columbia |
500 South Willow Ave. | Elizabethton |
601 Skyline Drive | Jackson |
2240 North Roan St. | Johnson City |
429 North State of Franklin Road | Johnson City |
1420 West Stone Drive | Kingsport |
2400 North Broadway St. | Knoxville |
4001 Chapman Highway | Knoxville |
627 Gallatin Pike, South | Madison |
1130 South Bellevue Blvd. | Memphis |
1863 Union Ave. | Memphis |
1359 Poplar Ave. | Memphis |
5080 Stage Road | Memphis |
5040 Park Ave. | Memphis |
1131 Mercury Blvd. | Murfreesboro |
5600 Charlotte Pike | Nashville |
2611 Franklin Pike | Nashville |
3130 Clarksville Pike | Nashville |
1081 Murfreesboro Pike | Nashville |
2115 Memorial Blvd. | Springfield |
“It is estimated that more than one million Americans are living with HIV infection, but almost one in six of these people don’t know they have the virus,” said TDH HIV/STD Section Director Shanell L. McGoy, PhD, MPH. “The only way to know your HIV status is to get tested. Take the Test, Take Control.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Southern region of the United States accounts for 37 percent of the country’s population, yet nearly 50 percent of new HIV diagnoses are in this region.
King presented information about Tennessee’s array of services provided through the Ryan White program during a panel discussion on achieving impact at the local level. King noted that in 2013, Tennessee exceeded the National HIV/AIDS Strategy goal to increase the number of Ryan White clients with permanent housing to 86 percent by 2015.
TDH statistics show the urgent need for increased efforts to prevent HIV, with cases reported in every county in Tennessee. In 2012, there were 923 new cases of HIV diagnosed in Tennessee. Since 1992, more than 25,000 Tennesseans have been diagnosed with HIV. Of that number, more than 19,000 Tennesseans are currently living with a diagnosis of HIV.
Anyone can obtain free, confidential HIV testing at Tennessee’s local health departments. Tennessee’s health department clinics also offer counseling with a trained health care provider on ways to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV.
A list of local county health departments is available at http://health.state.tn.us/localdepartments.htm
Information on other sites that offer HIV testing can be found online at www.HIVtest.org. Mobile phone users can send a text message with their ZIP code to “KNOWIT” (566948) and within seconds will receive a reply via text message identifying nearby testing sites.
Questions about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases can also be answered by calling the Tennessee HIV/STD Hotline at 1.800.525.2437.