Free HIV Testing at Baltimore, Md., Health Centers

Launched in 2008 by the AIDS Institute, National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day is commemorated annually on Sept. 18. According to CDC, persons age 50 and older accounted for almost 16.5 percent of new HIV diagnoses in 2009. The Baltimore City Health Department is reaching out to the older population by offering free HIV testing at seven senior centers on Sept. 15 and 16. "By encouraging and promoting HIV testing among older Baltimoreans, we hope to break down the stigma that this is a young people's disease," said Commissioner of Health Dr. Oxiris Barbot, adding that persons who may be exposed through high-risk sexual activity should be tested regularly. For more information about HIV and STD testing in Baltimore, visit www.baltimorehealth.org. To learn more about this and other national HIV awareness days, visit http://aids.gov/awareness-days/.

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