State health officials are asking residents to get tested for HIV as part of National HIV Testing Day on Monday.
Te Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, estimates that 13 percent of people with HIV do not know they are HIV positive, according to a news release from the Indiana State Department of Health. The virus, which weakens a person's immune system, can be transmitted sexually, through intravenous drug use and through bodily fluids and can lead to the more severe condition known as AIDS.
While there is not a cure for HIV, it can be managed with diagnosis and proper medical care, according to ISDH. Testing also helps prevent the spread of the virus.
"Every Hoosier would benefit from knowing their HIV status, but testing is especially important for people who engage in high-risk sexual behaviors and injection drug use. By getting tested, Hoosiers can protect their own health and that of those close to them,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Jerome Adams in the release.
In 2015, 543 Indiana residents were diagnosed with HIV and 78 were diagnosed with AIDS. A total of 11,704 Indiana residents were living with HIV or AIDS at the end of last year, according to the news release.
In Floyd County, there are fewer than five new HIV cases every year, according to Floyd County Health Officer Dr. Tom Harris. Harris said the county has a total of 132 active HIV cases. In Clark County, there are 294 active HIV cases, including 15 new diagnosis last year, according to numbers from ISDH.
Harris said the anticipated spike in HIV cases in light of the heroin epidemic in Scott County hasn't hit Floyd County. He said in his eight years as health officer, the number of cases has been relatively steady, with three to five new cases per year.
Harris said residents can visit the health department clinic at 1917 Bono Road in New Albany for testing. Testing is done by appointment on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and open to walk-ins on Thursdays. Testing is done by swabbing the patient's mouth, Harris said.
"So it's not invasive and it's a free test," Harris said. "And then if it's positive and we send you for confirmatory testing, we can plug you into resources that can treat you from there."
Harris added that if someone is high risk and getting tested for HIV, they should also get tested for Hepatitis C, which is done by pricking the finger for a blood sample.
In Clark County, HIV testing is by appointment only, typically on Mondays and Wednesdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The clinic is located at 1301 Akers Ave. in Jeffersonville.