Contact:
Lydia George, PIO
lydia.george@flhealth.gov
863-578-2146

Polk County, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Polk County (DOH-Polk) invites the community to attend our National HIV Testing Day Event on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the following locations:

DOH-Polk has partnered with Walgreens to provide free, confidential rapid HIV testing at the three Walgreens locations above. Free rapid hepatitis C testing will be provided as well. DOH-Polk staff will offer educational resources and counseling on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Appointments are not necessary to get tested and walk-ins are welcome. Results will be available in 20 minutes or less.

Protect yourself. Get tested. Know your status. Learn what’s next.

Knowing your status is the first step toward effective HIV prevention and treatment. Individuals at risk of contracting HIV (link opens in new window) can reduce their risk for HIV by using appropriate prevention strategies, such as taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), using protection, and getting tested regularly. Contact a health care provider to find out if PrEP is recommended for you.

If you test positive for HIV, seeking HIV treatment is critical. Antiretroviral therapy can help people live longer, healthier lives. People living with HIV who take antiretroviral medication as prescribed and have an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV to their sexual partners. Both PrEP and HIV treatment medications are now available as pills and long-acting injectables.

DOH-Polk provides routine HIV testing, PrEP, and other HIV-related services as well. For more information about the event or to schedule an appointment, call (863) 519-8233.

We have the power to both prevent and treat HIV. Visit  KnowYourHIVStatus.com (link opens in new window) to learn about testing options in your area or to order a free at-home HIV testing kit mailed directly to the address of your choice. For more information, call 1-800-FLA-AIDS, or 800-352-2437; en español, 1-800-545-SIDA; in Creole, 1-800-AIDS-101.