Will County Health Department offering free HIV testing

The Will County Health Department is recognizing National HIV Testing Day on Thursday, June 27, by offering free rapid HIV testing and a support group for residents living with HIV.

The Will County Health Department HIV/STI Care Clinic team will be offering confidential, rapid HIV testing from noon to 4 p.m. outside the health department’s main Joliet office, located at 501 Ella Ave. Testing is free of charge and will be conducted in the department’s mobile unit. No appointment is necessary for the tests, and results will be available in 15 minutes, according to a news release from the department.

“According to the CDC, one in eight people with HIV don’t know they have it,” health department outreach specialist Gloria Flores said in a release from the department. “Testing is the only way to know if you have HIV or not; so, we welcome anyone to come out and get tested for free.”

The Will County Health Department HIV/STI Care Clinic offers HIV and STI counseling and testing year-round along with prevention and treatment services, safe sex and STI education, and access to supplies such as condoms and prescriptions for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), as well treatment and care management for people living with HIV.

More information about these services can be found at the Will County Health website.