To commemorate the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day on December 1, 2008, Planned Parenthood will be offering free HIV tests at its health center at 710 Illinois Ave., Joplin.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than one million people in the United States are now living with HIV, and approximately 25% are unaware of their infection. It can take someone up to ten years to develop HIV symptoms and in that ten year interim, one person without symptoms may unknowingly infect someone else.

"Getting a HIV test can be the difference between life and death. If you are sexually active, it is important to get tested to keep yourself and your partner safe," says Paula Gianino, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Missouri.

World AIDS Day is a day dedicated to bringing attention to the world AIDS epidemic and what steps can be taken to prevent the spread of HIV. Planned Parenthood is dedicated to bringing attention to all of our reproductive health concerns. Services offered by Planned Parenthood for both men and women include pregnancy testing and abortion referral, STD testing and treatment and HPV and hepatitis vaccinations.

For more information call (417) 781-6500.

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