Free HIV testing on Charleston’s East End was part of the outreach series that the county health department and community partners ran in 2021. The events moved between neighborhoods in Charleston and nearby towns. The series was part of the response to an HIV outbreak in Kanawha County, mostly among people who inject drugs.
In February 2021, a presentation to the local HIV task force called the county’s outbreak “the most concerning in the country.” In May 2021, the health department reported 11 new HIV cases so far that year, with 8 tied to drug injection. It also reported 60 cases from 2018 to that date. At that time, the health department averaged 14 HIV tests per day at its outreach events.
Testing at these events was free and came with linkage to care. The events also offered COVID-19 tests and vaccines, plus hepatitis A, hepatitis B and tetanus shots. People who could not reach an event could call the health department at 304-348-8080 to set up an HIV test by appointment.
See a later East End testing event, HIV testing at the Schoenbaum Center, HIV testing in Charleston and HIV testing on the West Side.
This information is from 2021. It is kept here as a record and is not current advice.