Clinic hosts National HIV Testing Day event June 27

East Carolina University will participate in a national event to test people for the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, on June 27.

National HIV Testing Day will be held 7:30 a.m.-noon Wednesday, June 27, at the Brody School of Medicine Infectious Diseases and Tropical/Travel Medicine Clinic at 2300 Beasley Drive at Doctor’s Park 6A in the Greenville medical district.

No appointment is needed. The first 100 people will receive a Wal-Mart gift card.  The free HIV test is done with an oral swab. No needles will be used. Results will be available on site in 20 minutes.

HIV is spread most often through sexual contact, but it is also spread by contaminated needles or syringes shared by drug abusers and from infected women to their babies at birth or through breast feeding. On average, people with the virus can live seven to 10 years without knowing they are infected unless they test for HIV annually.

Many individuals infected with HIV can live a healthy life and prevent the virus from reaching AIDS, the end stage of HIV, by detecting HIV early and getting early treatment for the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone test for HIV once a year, regardless of risk or relationship status.

ECU’s infectious diseases outpatient clinic offers free walk-in HIV testing daily. The clinic cares for patients with a variety of infections including HIV/AIDS, endocarditis, tuberculosis, osteomyelitis and joint infections.

For more information, call 252-744-0267 or 252-744-5784.