Georgia has the highest rate of new HIV infections among all states. Access to affordable testing is a key component of ending the epidemic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that every adult get tested at least once in their lifetime as a part of routine health care, but only about a third of Americans do it, said Patrick Sullivan, a professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.
There are many convenient, discreet, even free, ways to get tested in Atlanta. Most of these services focus on connecting people to prevention and treatment services. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, for example, attempts to connect people who test positive with a medical appointment within three business days and remove any barriers to treatment.
Here are some of the options.
1. At home. Together Take Me Home is a national project that mails two free HIV testing kits to your home in discreet packaging. The rapid test is conducted with an oral swab, so no blood draw is necessary. The project has reached nearly 750,000 people. But hurry: The program will end in September after the CDC terminated it due to a lack of staff to oversee it.
2. At the club. AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s mobile testing units often visit night clubs and community fairs around the city.
3. At the “adult store.” Positive Impact Health Centers conduct tests at Starship Enterprises locations on Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain on the first Sunday of every month; at the Old National Highway location in Atlanta, and the Highpoint Road location in Snellville on the third Sunday of every month. Testing is offered from 4 to 7 p.m.
4. On the bus. You can’t miss the big purple Healthy Love bus sponsored by SisterLove, or its friendly and devoted driver, Will Settle. He’s been driving the bus since its start in 2022, a major shift from his past career at the Delta Air Lines Foundation. The bus has logged more than 10,000 miles and helped to provide more than 2,000 tests. “Without question, this service removes transportation barriers,” Settle said. The tests are free. The bus will be at SisterLove’s community health fair from 1 to 7 p.m. July 19 at 3699 Bakers Ferry. Rd.
5. At the drugstore. You can purchase an HIV test at many retail pharmacies. At CVS, it costs about $46 over the counter. You can also get the tests delivered with services like DoorDash and UberEats. No prescription needed.
6. At the thrift store. The Out of the Closet thrift store at Ansley Mall creates a “destigmatizing space” where people can shop, get tested for HIV for free, and access community pharmacy services, said Imara Canady of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Ninety-six cents of every dollar spent at the store goes directly back into HIV services in the local community, Canady said. People can also get tested for other STIs and access pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at the clinic.
7. At church. Houses of worship have emerged as an important testing site, Canady said. Many local churches host testing events, he said, pointing to the work of theRev. Dr. Monte Norwood, pastor of Bible Way Ministries, in Atlanta’s Thomasville Heights neighborhood.
8. Schedule online. Many local clinics let you book an appointment online. Empowerment Resource Center and SisterLove offer online signups for free testing at their clinics.
9. Or call. Other clinics also offer testing services you can book by phone, including AID Atlanta, Positive Impact Health Centers in Duluth and Decatur, and Someone Cares in Marietta.
10. At the local public health department. County health departments offer HIV testing at their clinics.
- DeKalb Public Health provides free testing at its health center locations and free home testing kits for pickup.
- Fulton County Board of Health provides free or low-cost HIV testing, depending on the individual’s income.
- The Clayton County Health Department provides free testing at its clinic on Battle Creek Road, as well as free at-home tests.
- Cobb and Douglas Public Health provides free rapid testing at four locations. Free home testing kits are also available at the Marietta location, as well as via an online portal.
- GNR Public Health, which covers Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale counties, provides in-person and at-home rapid testing.
For more options, visit locator.hiv.gov and FreeHIVTest.Net. To invite a mobile testing team to come to an event, reach out to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and SisterLove.
Got an option to add to the list? Email us: atlanta.tips@healthbeat.org. You can also add upcoming HIV testing events to Healthbeat’s free events calendar.
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