Texas has the second-highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in the country, according to the from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Ashley Ray with Denton County Public Health said one reason for that is the stigma around getting tested for sexually transmitted infections, or STIs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a taboo topic that a lot of people don鈥檛 want to speak on,鈥� said Ray, who is the department鈥檚 HIV and STI program coordinator. 鈥淎 lot of people have sex, and they don鈥檛 take the time to get tested. So, it鈥檚 just a continuation of spreading something, and it affects people.鈥�
In 2019, the most from the Texas Department of State Health Services, there were about 100,000 people in Texas living with HIV. The virus through sexual contact, sharing needles when using drugs, and during pregnancy. Nationally, gay and bisexual men are most impacted by HIV, with Black and Latinx men accounting for a majority of new HIV infections, .
Ray said rates of new infections in Denton County have been increasing since 2017. She believes it鈥檚 because people just don鈥檛 get tested enough鈥擧IV infections can include flu-like symptoms, like a fever and sore throat, but and still spread the virus.
She and her colleagues in the department are working to make testing a comfortable, safe experience for people.
鈥淲e鈥檙e everyday people, and just like we鈥檙e advocating for you guys to get tested, we get tested,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really a judgement-free zone.鈥�
The public health department provides free and confidential testing at clinics in Denton and Lewisville.
鈥淜nowing your status is important for you, for your partner, for your family, and we鈥檙e willing to be there every step of the way,鈥� Ray said.
The CDC reports are in the South. Dallas and Harris counties have the in Texas.
Dr. Parul Kaushik, an infectious diseases specialist with , treats patients with HIV. She said everyone should be tested every three to six months if they鈥檙e sexually active, and every three months if they鈥檙e at higher risk for infection.
鈥淲e can do all this magic of controlling it effectively, only if we know about it,鈥� Kaushik said. 鈥淏ecause if you don鈥檛 know about it, the virus is dividing in your body, causing inflammation, and this is a disease that you can have for years without manifesting itself.鈥�
Kaushik said if caught early, HIV can be managed with medication, and over time can become undetectable 鈥� meaning people won鈥檛 spread the virus.
鈥淭o be able to make a major difference in their lives, it really makes me happy,鈥� she said.
Denton County Public Health is hosting on Tuesday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Walgreens at 1700 S. Loop 288.
The department also offers daily STI and HIV testing at its . The office visit costs $30, but treatment, if someone tests positive, is free.
Denton Location:
535 S. Loop 288
Denton, TX 76205
Hours: 8 a.m. 鈥� 12 p.m., 1 p.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
Phone: 940-349-2900
Lewisville Location:
190 N. Valley Parkway
Lewisville, TX 75067
Hours: 8 a.m. 鈥� 12 p.m., 1 p.m. 鈥� 5 p.m.
Phone: 972-434-4700
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