Although HIV infection is completely preventable, every 9½ minutes, someone in the United States is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. That person could be you or someone you know and love like your brother, sister, father, mother, friend, co-worker, or neighbor. It is important for everyone to get the facts, talk about HIV/AIDS with partners and loved ones, reduce risk behaviors, and get tested to learn their HIV status.

During the week of June 22nd, AIDS Leadership Foothills Area Alliance (ALFA) will be providing FREE, CONFIDENTIAL door-to-door and walk-in testing to the general public. ALFA’s rapid HIV test is 99.7% accurate and provides results in 10 minutes. These events are in observance of National HIV Testing Day, an annual campaign that encourages individuals to receive voluntary HIV counseling and testing. By providing free, confidential HIV testing, ALFA is able to reduce the spread of HIV and combat the negative stigma surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS. This is achieved by allowing individuals to know their status, connecting those who test positive with the necessary medical care, and providing accurate and up-to-date HIV/AIDS education.

Walk-in testing will be available at ALFA, located at 1120 Fairgrove Church Rd SE, Ste 28 in Hickory, on Mon.-Fri. from 10a-5p. Walk-in testing will also be available at Slades Chapel AME Zion Church, located at 306 Bouchelle St in Morganton, on Wed., June 24 from 4p-7p. If you would like to get tested but will not be able to make it the week of June 22nd, you can call ALFA at 828.322.1447 ext. 232 to schedule an appointment for a free test.  

Get Real. Get Tested: July 25, 2009

“Get Real, Get Tested.”, a statewide HIV educational and testing campaign to encourage everyone to get tested for HIV, is coming to Hickory, NC on Saturday, July 25.

In order to fight HIV and AIDS, everyone must get tested in order to know their HIV status and their partners’ HIV status. The goals of this project are to test people for HIV who have never been tested before, identify persons living with HIV/AIDS who need care, and provide HIV and AIDS prevention and education messages to the general public. The clear message is that if you are sexually active, you should know your status and know the HIV status of your partner(s).

On July 25, ALFA will be partnering with CVMC, Club Cabaret, and the North Carolina Communicable Disease Branch to provide free and confidential HIV and syphilis testing. The testing will be administered at Club Cabaret in downtown Hickory between the hours of 10:00pm-1:30am. As an incentive for those getting tested, Club Cabaret will be offering one free alcoholic beverage. Results will be available on Friday, August 21 at Club Cabaret. For those returning for their results, Club Cabaret will be offering free admission for that evening.

For more information on this event, please contact Cecilio Orta, at 828.322.1447 ext. 232 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .