Free HIV testing offered throughout Cobb the rest of 2018

Free HIV testing will be offered 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. several times in Cobb County the rest of 2018.

Free HIV testing will be offered 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. several times in Cobb County the rest of 2018.

The Cobb County health department is offering several opportunities for free HIV screenings the rest of the year at Walgreens stores.

According to health officials, 1 in 5 Georgians who have HIV don't know it.

READSTD rates in US reach record high, CDC says

Human Immunodeficiency Virus can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS.

In 2015, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, an estimated 2,381 adults and adolescents were diagnosed with HIV in the state. That put Georgia fifth in the United States.

Here’s when and where the free testing will occur:

Aug. 31, 1733 Macland Road in Marietta

Sept. 28, 2975 Delk Road in Marietta

Oct. 26, 4120 Austell Road in Austell

Nov. 23, 2390 South Cobb Drive in Smyrna

Dec. 14, 2670 Cobb Parkway in Smyrna

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Gracie Bonds Staples, a columnist with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, wrote a five-part series about HIV and Black gay men, who according to the CDC are 22 times more likely to be HIV positive than Black Americans overall. You can read that here.

Facts about HIV and AIDS HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. What is the difference between HIV and AIDS? HIV attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells). AIDS is a condition. AIDS develops when HIV has caused serious damage to the immune system. Globally, an estimated 36.7 million people are living with HIV. At least two million of them are children. There is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS. However, treatment can control HIV. New HIV infections have fallen by 35%