UToledo Health, in partnership with Walgreens and KFF, will provide free and confidential HIV testing on Friday as part of National HIV Testing Day. Free testing for syphilis also will be available.
The rapid HIV and syphilis tests will be available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside the Walgreens at 4580 Monroe St. in Toledo.
“Every HIV test brings us closer to ending this epidemic,” said Danielle Van Fleet, HIV testing coordinator at the UToledo Health Care Clinic. “Unfortunately, there’s still a stigma surrounding HIV and HIV testing, but knowledge is power and knowing your status is so important.”
Tests will be administered by medical professionals from the UToledo Health Care Clinic in a private area of the pharmacy via a finger prick. No appointments are necessary. Results from the syphilis test will be available in about 10 minutes. HIV test results take about 20 minutes.
Walgreens and KFF have partnered to provide in-store HIV testing for National HIV Testing Day since 2011, conducting more than 93,000 tests. UToledo Health joined the nationwide program as a partner organization last year.
Since the early 1990s, advances in HIV prevention and care have transformed lives, yet HIV remains an important public health priority.
There were 45 newly diagnosed HIV cases last year in the Toledo-Lucas County area, a number that’s in line with the annual average over the last 14 years.
National numbers aren’t yet available for 2024, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 39,000 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2023.
The CDC estimates more than a million Americans are living with HIV, including more than 150,000 who don’t know they have the disease.
“HIV affects people from all walks of life, which is why testing is so important for everyone, regardless of background,” Van Fleet said. “We always have testing available through our clinic, but events like this give us the ability to go out into the community and provide that service in a more familiar, less clinical setting.”
Van Fleet emphasized that HIV and syphilis can only be detected through blood testing. Therefore, individuals who have only been tested for sexually transmitted infections using only a urine sample have not been screened for HIV or syphilis.
“This is an opportunity for education and for individuals to take control of their health,” she said. “Syphilis is both treatable and curable. While HIV is not curable, it is treatable thanks to medical advancements. But you cannot access treatment or connected to support services unless you get tested.”
In addition to the rapid HIV testing, UToledo Health will have Care Clinic representatives on hand who can talk about community resources for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and treatments to help at-risk individuals reduce their chance of acquiring HIV.
The UToledo Health Care Clinic provides comprehensive HIV care services through the Ryan White Program and also provides education, prevention and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
