COLUMBUS, Ind. – LifeCare Testing Clinic is offering free Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing on Thursday, June 27 in honor of National
HIV Testing Day.
National HIV Testing Day is an annual campaign to encourage people
to “Take the test, Take control”. In the United States, nearly 1.2 million
people are living with HIV and many do not even know they are infected. Even
further, there are 5,670 Indiana residents living with HIV/AIDS, according to a
2012 report by the Indiana State Department of Health*.
“We hope that by offering free HIV testing many will take a
positive step in addressing sexual health concerns and in so doing become aware
of our services,” Maria Westbrook, LifeCare Testing Clinic Nurse Manager, said.
“We want the community to know that we are here to provide testing and
treatment for sexually transmitted infections, encourage safe and healthy
sexual choices, and that we genuinely care.”
LifeCare Testing Clinic, a branch of Pregnancy Care Centers of
South Central Indiana, opened earlier this year to offer affordable testing and
treatment for Sexually Transmitted Infections, as well as free pregnancy
testing. Located at 1950 Doctor’s Park, Suite B, LifeCare is also now the only
clinic in our area to offer testing for genital herpes.
Tim Bond, Executive Director of Pregnancy Care Centers of South
Central Indiana, has seen the need for a clinic such as LifeCare quickly arise
across the country.
“We are excited to provide testing and treatment for STIs in a
clinic that seeks to address the ‘silent epidemic’ by helping people in a
holistic manner,” Tim Bond said. “We seek to not only provide excellent medical
treatment, but also counsel and education that addresses the unhealthy
attitudes, behaviors and cycles that perpetuate the problem.”
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