Free HIV Testing Offered Following Outbreak in 2 Indiana Counties

Indiana state health commissioner Dr. Jerome Adams declared a state public health emergency on Thursday in Scott County effective through May 24, 2016, according to Vaccine News Daily.

One hundred and fifty-nine confirmed cases and one producing a preliminary positive test result have been found in a HIV outbreak in Southeastern Indiana.

The county has been hit hardest by the state's HIV outbreak and will continue to operate a needle exchange program for a least a year, according to Indiana Public Media.

"We have had over 1,400 services utilized at the One-Stop Shop in Austin, all at no cost to the individual, including more than 300 people who have signed up for the Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0," Adams said. "We know our efforts are working, and I thank all of our partners, at the state, local and federal level, for their continued support during this emergency."

Thirty-one-year-old Brandon Terry of Scott County has benefited from the needle-exchange. He visited the community outreach center, testing negative for HIV.

"I want to be clean and safe," Terry said, via News and Tribune.

Many who may have been infected with HIV might have no symptoms at all, so it's best to get tested if you think you may have been infected. Within a month or two of entering the body, 40 to 90 percent of people will experience flu-like symptoms. However, some will not experience symptoms for years.

Early symptoms may include night sweats, swollen glands, infections, fever, diarrhea, weight loss, cough or shortness of breath.

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