World AIDS Day is on Thursday, Dec. 1. Southeastern Idaho Public Health is joining with organizations around the world to take action toward ending the AIDS epidemic by offering free rapid HIV and syphilis testing for at-risk people for the entire month of December in each of our eight-county offices.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has taken the lives of over 40 million people since it began years ago. In 2020, 30,635 people received a new HIV diagnosis in the United States and dependent areas. People living with HIV are part of Idaho communities. Idahoans have died in this epidemic. Thankfully, HIV infections in the U.S. are declining thanks to new drugs that allow people living with HIV to eliminate their risk of passing the virus on to others and to have normal life expectancies. If you or someone you care about has risk, get tested for free at Southeastern Idaho Public Health this December and help us end the AIDS epidemic.

People from all backgrounds get HIV. Getting infected has nothing to do with who you are and everything to do with what you do.

You should get tested if you:

— Have had sex without a condom with more than one person.

— Use needles to inject drugs.

— Have ever been infected with an STD.

If you have questions or would like to make an appointment for a free test, please call your local public health office. Check us out online at siphidaho.org or on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.