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Georgia health officials offer free HIV testing

Posted at 6:40 AM, Jun 27, 2013
and last updated 2013-06-27 02:44:41-04

ATLANTA (AP) — Health officials in Georgia are offering free HIV testing.

Thursday is National HIV Testing Day. The state Department of Public Health is teaming up with its national partner, Greater than AIDS, and health departments around the state to offer the free testing.

Georgians can get free HIV tests at select Walgreens pharmacies, county health departments and other Greater than AIDS partners on Thursday and, in some places, through the weekend.

Health officials say more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, but 20 percent of them don't know it. Health officials say HIV testing is critical to stopping the spread of the virus. Georgia ranks sixth in the nation for the number of AIDS cases reported through the end of 2009.