HIV Testing Day Extended Hours

National HIV Testing Day is an annual observance to promote HIV testing to reduce stigma surrounding HIV testing and to persuade individuals to think about behaviors that may put them at risk for HIV. This year’s obsrvance is on Sunday, June 27. In Great Falls, the Cascade City-County Health Department provide3s HIV testing for anyone wanting to get tested. Free and anonymous testing is available on a walk-in basis Monday-Friday 8 am to 12 pm and 1pm to 5pm. In honor of National HIV Testing Day, hours will be extended Monday, June 28 – Wednesday, June 30 from 8am to 6pm.

In 2009, Montana passed a law intended to make HIV testing more accessible to people and easier for health care providers to offer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages HIV testing of adults, adolescents and pregnant women in health care settings. Individuals who know their HIV status can reduce risk of further transmission to partners. Treatment can slow the progression of the disesase. Routine testing is particularly important for pregnant women who can take advantage of medication to protect their baby. “The rapid test takes only 20 minutes in the office and it is strictly confidential; this is the first step in preventing HIV – getting tested and knowing your status,” says Trisha Garnder, CCHD HIV Educator.

Throughout the nation and in Montana, at least one in five persons living with HIV does not know they are HIV-infected. Forty percent of people with HIV are not diagnosed until they have already developed AIDS, and that can be up to 10 years after they first became infected with the virus. Since HIV does not immediately produce symptoms of illness, it may take years to progress to life-threatening stages, but the disease can be passed on to others, whether or not a person has symptoms. Early HIV diagnosis is critical, so people who areinfected can fully benefit from available life-saving treatments and healthcare.

Individuals interested in finding a location for testing can text their zip code to: knowit (566948) or can go to www.hivtest.org and enter their zip code. Individuals looking for more information on CCHD’s HIV Testing can visit http://www.cchdmt.org/index.php?p=prevention&n=hiv or call Trish Gardner at 791-9279.

Operation Medicine Cabinet- 6/10

Leftover and unwanted medications sitting in your medicine cabinet put communities at risk for diversion, prescription drug abuse and unintentional poisoning. A coalition of groups in Great Falls, including Take Back Drug Task Force, are providing members of the community with the opportunity to dispose of unused medications in Saturday, June 5th. Operation Medicine Cabinet Montana, held in multiple communities across the state, is part of Attorney General Steve Bullock’s effort to reduce prescription drug abuse in Montana.

Montana ranks third in the nation for teen abuse of prescription pain relievers-nearly 10 percent of teens admit to abusing these drugs in the past year, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Partnership for a Drug Free America reports that the majority of teens agree that prescription drugs are easier to get than other illicit drugs, including 63 percent who believe that prescription drugs are easy to get from their parents’ medicine cabinet. Additionally, 70 percent of those who use precription meds for non-medical purposes obtain those drugs from a friend or family member.

“With prescription drug abuse on the rise in our state, it is important to closely monitor medications in our homes and get rid of those drugs we no longer have a use for,” said Attorney General Steve Bullock. “By limiting easy access to drugs that are potentially dangerous when misused, we reduce the risk of accidental posonings, illegal diversion and abuse in our community.”

WHAT:   Residents may bring expired or unwanted medications to be disposed of. Participants are encouraged to remove or blackout any personal information on the containers. Drop-offs are confidential and free of charge. The following items cannot be excepted: sharps/needles, chemo/radioactive drugs, or other nonpharmaceutical waste.

WHERE:   105 9th Street South Fire Station

WHEN:   Saturday, June 5; 10:00am – 2:00pm

A map of all events across the state can be found at www.doj.mt.gov/rxabuse.