World AIDS Day: Find events, free HIV testing in metro Phoenix
Tuesday is World AIDS Day, when people worldwide unite to fight HIV, show support for those living with it and remember those who have died from it.
The Phoenix AIDS Candlelight Vigil Tuesday evening will honor those who have died from HIV or AIDS. The walk will start at 6 p.m. at the Phoenix Pride LGBT Center and end at the Parsons Center for Health and Wellness. For more information, visit phxvigil.org.
The annual Red Brunch fundraising event will celebrate World AIDS Day on Saturday at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale. Tickets are $100; visit redbrunch.org for details.
As for testing, many places in metro Phoenix are offering free testing throughout the week, and there are numerous others that offer free testing for HIV and other STDs year round in the Valley.
Locations with free HIV testing for World AIDS Day:
HIVAZ.org free testing from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, near light-rail stations:
- Walgreens: 1825 W. Bethany Home Road, Phoenix.
- Walgreens: Central Ave. and Osborn Road, Phoenix.
- Southwest Center: 1101 N. Central Ave., Phoenix.
- Don Cassano Community Room: 200 E. Fifth St., 2nd Floor, Tempe.
- Walgreens: 2024 W. Main St., Mesa.
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, at Native Health, Central location, 4041 N. Central Ave., Building C, Phoenix. 602-279-5262, nativehealthphoenix.org/world-aids-day.
4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, at Terros, 3864 N. 27th Ave., Phoenix. Also 3-6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at Terros' Glendale location, 6153 W. Olive Ave., Glendale. Terros.org/events/health-fairs.
8-10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, and 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 at Stacy's @ Melrose, 4343 N 7th Ave, Phoenix. Facebook.com/StacysatMelrose.
All week at Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS:
Five places with free HIV testing all year
Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS offers free testing for HIV, hepatitis C, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea every weekday, no appointment necessary.
Details: 1101 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-307-5330.
Terros offers free rapid HIV testing every weekday.
Details: 333 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-685-6000.
Maricopa County Department of Public Health's STD Clinic offers free syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV testing on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. It charges $20 for the same service every weekday, no appointment necessary.
They also have a calendar of free off-site testing every month.
Details: 1645 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix.
Native Health provides free HIV testing every weekday at the Central Avenue location and Thursdays and Fridays at the Community Health Center location.
Details: Central location, 4041 N. Central Ave., Building C, Phoenix. 602-279-5262, and Community Health Center, 2423 W. Dunlap Ave., Suite 140, Phoenix. 602-279-5351. Nativehealthphoenix.org.
Ebony House Inc. offers free rapid HIV testing by appointment four days a week.
Details: 6222 S. 13th St., Phoenix. 602-254-6180.
How long after a possible exposure should I be tested for HIV?
If you've been infected with HIV, there is a period of time when you have the disease but it will not show up in tests. That period of time varies depending on the type of test.
"The shortest-window test on the market is 14 to 17 days after exposure," which is the test that the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS uses, said Jeremy Bright, testing and men's program manager with the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS in Phoenix.
An HIV test is highly accurate at least 12 weeks after exposure, which is why the San Francisco AIDS Foundation recommends that people who are having sex get tested routinely every three months.
What else should I be tested for?
Tests should be done for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. Those are the big ones, the last three of which are curable, Bright said.
That's why you'll often see those four tests bundled together, like at Maricopa County Department of Public Health's STD Clinic. Also, it's easy: Rapid HIV tests can provide results from a swab inside the mouth in as little as 20 minutes.
Note: The two you risk when having any sex:
HPV, which can cause genital warts and cancers, can be transmitted even while wearing a condom, and there is no test to find out a person's "HPV status," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Genital herpes also can be transmitted even while wearing a condom and is not curable, and although there are blood tests for herpes, the CDC doesn't recommend routine testing for people who don't have symptoms because the tests are expensive and not always accurate.
When and how often should I get tested?
Sexually active women who are younger than 25 or have new or multiple sex partners should be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea every year.
Sexually active gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men should be tested at least once a year for syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. Those with multiple or anonymous partners should be tested every three or six months.
Anyone who has unprotected sex (or shares injection-drug equipment) should get tested for HIV at least once a year. Sexually active gay and bisexual men may benefit from testing every three to six months.
Find other places, events with free or cheap STD testing