by Damon Poirier | The Marietta Daily Journal |
On Dec. 1, the Cobb & Douglas Public Health will provide free, rapid HIV testing and counseling in support of World AIDS Day at the Marietta Public Health Center, 1650 County Services Parkway in Marietta, and the Douglasville Public Health Center, 6770 Selman Drive in Douglasville, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia ranked fifth in the nation for cumulative HIV/AIDS cases in 2012, with 64-percent of those cases living in the metro-Atlanta area.
Individuals may be HIV positive for many years without symptoms. According to The National Resource Center for HIV/AIDS Prevention among Adolescents website, studies state that almost 40-percent of people with HIV are not diagnosed until they already have developed AIDS. This can be up to 10 years after they have become infected with HIV.
The event is open to everyone and no appointments are needed. All testing results are confidential and are available in 20 minutes.
For more information, contact the Cobb & Douglas Public Health Epidemiology Department at (770) 514-2815 or (770) 514-2432.