National HIV Testing Day is Monday, June 27, and local health officials are hoping that residents in The T&D Region will follow this year’s message, “Take the Test, Take Control.”

Hope Health-Edisto, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Region 5 Public Health Department, the Minority AIDS Council, South Carolina State University’s Brooks Health Center, OCAB Community Action Agency, and the Community Engagement and Outreach Core of the Center of Excellence in the Social Promotion of Health Equity Research, Education and Community Engagement will be conducting free, confidential HIV testing at a few sites within the community to promote education and awareness. Testing times and sites for June 27 include:

- 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – CORE Center, 520 Hesseman St., Holly Hill.

- 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Victory Tabernacle Church, 681 Broughton St., Orangeburg.

- 7 p.m. – South Carolina State University Student Center, 300 College St., Orangeburg.

“We are attempting to reach residents of Orangeburg and surrounding counties,” said Karen Clinton, senior community liaison for CCE-SPHERE. “This event is the first of many testing events to come. We are piloting testing at these three locations, and will replicate these services in other parts of the DHEC Region 5 service area in the future.”

Each year on June 27, the National Association of People With AIDS partners with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national and local entities across the country for National HIV Testing Day. This year’s National HIV Testing Day comes at a pivotal time, as the U.S. marks 30 years since the first reported diagnosis of what would later be known as AIDS.

Clinton said the testing at the local community sites will involve the Oraquick mouth swab, and individuals will have their results back in 20 minutes.

In addition to the testing scheduled for June 27, two sites will offer HIV testing on Thursday, June 23:

- 8:30-11 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m. – Orangeburg County Health Department, 803-536-9060.

- 5-7 p.m. – Kingdom Life Ministries, Orangeburg, 803-536-9060 or 803-534-1980.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV, and approximately 230,000 of them are unaware they are infected with the virus. DHEC statistics show more than 15,000 people are living with HIV in South Carolina.

According to SCDHEC’s Surveillance Report, through December 2009, the Edisto Health District reported a total of 1,166 HIV/AIDS cases, with a cumulative rate of 959 cases per 100,000 people – the highest rate in the state of people infected with HIV/AIDS.

“As of 2009, Orangeburg County is number five, Bamberg County is number two and Calhoun County is number 23 in the state for HIV cases per 100,000 (people),” Clinton said. “It is imperative that we get the message out about HIV testing because one out of five people living in the United States are unaware of their HIV status. NHTD is an opportunity for people locally and nationwide to learn their HIV status, and to gain the necessary knowledge to take control of their health and their lives.”

For more information, call Clinton at 803-240-3732, Willie Simon at 803-535-2272 or DHEC’s AIDS/STD Hotline at 1-800-322-AIDS, or visit scdhec.gov/stdhiv/.