June 27 National HIV Testing Day
While you may hear about it less these days, HIV/AIDS continues to be a problem in the United States. In Rhode Island, the Department of Health reports that 65 new HIV cases were diagnosed in 2015, and over 2,500 people are currently living with HIV.
The good news is there are more HIV treatment and prevention options available than ever before.
Even though some are at higher risk than others, everyone should be tested at least once in their lives for HIV. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others, most HIV cases occur among those who are gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men (MSM). But if you’re sexually active, it’s recommended that you get tested every year.
Prevention
For those at higher risk for HIV, pre-exposure prophylaxis or “PrEP” may be an option. PrEP is a once-daily pill that is highly effective in preventing HIV. When used correctly, studies have shown that PrEP can reduce the risk of getting HIV by up to 99% for people who take it every day. If you think PrEP might be right for you, call The Miriam Hospital for an appointment at 401-793-2829.
Condoms are also effective at preventing HIV transmission when used correctly. For those who are HIV-positive, studies show that treatment with antiretroviral medications can keep viral loads at undetectable levels (too low to measure) and even prevent people with HIV from transmitting it to others.
Testing
While it’s important to get tested for HIV/AIDS, if you’re sexually active, you should consider being tested for other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as well. Other STDs are also a major health problem in Rhode Island and each one can have effects on your health. Studies have shown that hese other STDs can also increase the risk of transmitting HIV.
More cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other STDs have been reported in recent years. In 2014, the U.S. saw 1.4 million cases of chlamydia—the highest number of any STD ever reported. Chlamydia and many other STDs often have no symptoms, which means the only way to be 100 percent sure of your status is to get tested.
Your doctor or local clinic can get you started on one of the super-effective medicines for HIV prevention or treatment – but not until after you’ve been tested! More than 90% of new HIV infections annually could be prevented through routine testing, early diagnosis, and making sure those who are HIV-positive get treatment as soon as possible.
We can help. The Miriam Hospital HIV/STD clinic is located at 1125 North Main Street in Providence, RI, and offers confidential testing.
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