THE NORWALK HEALTH DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZES WORLD AIDS DAY
FREE WALK-IN RAPID HIV TESTING OFFERED AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT

(NORWALK, Connecticut) – Today, December 1, 2023, the Norwalk Health Department announced that it is offering multiple free walk-in rapid Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing clinics in support of World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day takes place on December 1st of each year and this year’s theme is “Remember and Commit”, encouraging everyone to end the HIV-related stigma, honor those we have lost, and commit to working towards a day where HIV is no longer a public health crisis.

“The only way to know your HIV status is to get tested,” stated Nurse Practitioner, Chelcia Foster, DNP, APRN, FNP-C. “Early detection of HIV coupled with linking patients to care and treatment, results in better long-term health outcomes. Those who screen negative for HIV can make informed decisions in their daily lives to maintain their health and prevent against HIV/AIDS.”

Free rapid walk-in HIV testing will be offered at the Health Department during the following dates and times to all. No appointment is necessary.
- December 1, from 1:00pm – 4:00pm
- December 8, from 9:00am – 12:00pm
- December 15, from 1:00pm – 4:00pm
- December 29, from 9:00am – 12:00pm

In addition to free walk-in testing offered in observance of World AIDS Day, the Health Department offers a sexual health clinic on Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment where HIV testing is also available. Norwalk Health Department's sexual health clinic offers community members confidential examinations, diagnosis, and treatment for most sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), education to reduce the risk of those infections, and free hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines for all eligible clients. The fee for STD testing is $10 per visit, and testing services are available to individuals thirteen years of age and older.

HIV is spread by contact with infected bodily fluids. Most people get HIV through anal or vaginal sex, or sharing needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 1.2 million people in the United States had HIV at the end of 2021, the most recent year for which this information is available. Of those people, about 87% knew they had HIV. A simple blood test can tell you if you are HIV positive. Testing is particularly important because early stages of HIV often have no signs or symptoms. Early detection can help prevent the spread of HIV to others and reduce the number of major complications and progression of the disease.