Scott County Health Department, Walgreens and Greater Than AIDS Team Up in Effort to Heighten HIV Awareness in Davenport, Iowa

Free HIV testing available at Walgreens Pharmacy, 1805 Brady St. Davenport IA.

June 27, 28, & 29

Media Contacts

Public Information Officer, Scott County Health Department 563-326-8618 [email protected]	Katie Smith, Kaiser Family Foundation 202-654-1439 [email protected]
Scott Goldberg, Walgreens 847-315-7649 [email protected]

Davenport, IA, June 22, 2017 – Scott County Health Department, Walgreens, and Greater Than AIDS, a leading national public information response to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic, are teaming up to offer free HIV testing and counseling.  Education about prevention strategies, including Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), will also take place as part of a “National HIV Testing Day” effort.

Testing will be available at Walgreens Pharmacy at 1805 Brady Street, Davenport, IA during a three-day period:

• Tuesday, June 27 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 28 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Thursday, June 29 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Scott County Health Department will provide trained counselors to conduct the testing and will provide results on-site within minutes. Alere North America, BioLytical Laboratories and OraSure have donated test kits for the event.

“We know more about preventing and treating HIV than ever before,” said Tina Hoff, senior vice president and director, health communication and media partnerships, Kaiser Family Foundation, which directs Greater Than AIDS. “The first step is knowing your status. This collaboration normalizes HIV testing as part of everyday life, while educating communities about the latest advances.”

PrEP, a medication available by prescription, offers another effective means of protection for those without HIV. In addition, antiretrovirals, the medications used to treat HIV in addition to improving health, are now known to help stop the spread of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HIV testing as part of routine health care.

“With early diagnosis and treatment, someone with HIV can live a healthy normal lifespan,” said Glen Pietrandoni, senior director of virology at Walgreens. “It’s very important to take control of your health by getting a test and learning your status.”

For a complete list of participating Walgreens locations and supporting partners, as well as additional information about HIV testing, including year-round testing sites, visit www.greaterthan.org/walgreens.

At all participating Walgreens locations, testing partners will provide informational guides about the benefits of early treatment and PrEP.  More than 150,000 copies of the Walgreens and Greater Than AIDS-produced ‘I Got Tested: What’s Next’ guides, which are available in both English and Spanish, have been distributed since 2015. More information about PrEP is available at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/prep.html.

About Scott County Health Department

The Scott County Health Department is the public health entity serving Scott County. The Health Department works daily to prevent disease and injury, protect people from threats to their health and the health of the community, as well as promotes healthy environments and behaviors. Formed in 1969, the Scott County Health Department is governed by the five-member Scott County Board of Health.

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), one of the nation's largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 10 million customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities across America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates 8,175 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with its omnichannel business, Walgreens.com. Approximately 400 Walgreens stores offer Healthcare Clinic or other provider retail clinic services.

About Greater Than AIDS

Greater Than AIDS is a leading national public information response focused on the U.S. domestic epidemic. Launched in 2009 by the Kaiser Family Foundation together with the Black AIDS Institute, it is supported today by a broad coalition of public and private sector partners, including: major media and other business leaders; Federal, state and local health agencies and departments; national leadership groups; AIDS service and other community organizations; and foundations, among others. Through targeted media messages and community outreach, Greater Than AIDS works to increase knowledge, reduce stigma and promote actions to stem the spread of the disease. While national in scope, Greater Than AIDS focuses on communities most affected.

About Kaiser Family Foundation

The Kaiser Family Foundation, a leader in health policy analysis, health journalism and communication, is dedicated to filling the need for trusted, independent information on the major health issues facing our nation and its people. The Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation based in Menlo Park, California.