New health testing services are being offered in Washington. Johnson County Public Health has announced that rapid testing for HIV and Hepatitis C will be available in Washington and services will be provided at no-cost to qualified residents through a program supported by the Iowa Department of Public Health. The services are limited to clients who qualify as “high-risk”.

“High risk” for HIV includes anybody who identifies as Hispanic/Latino or African American as well as men who have sex with men, anybody who has exchanged sex for something that they needed, anybody who has been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease in the past 12 months and anybody who has had an HIV-positive partner or have had partners with a history of injection drug use. Clients who have a personal history of injection drug use or have received blood products prior to 1992 qualify for both HIV and Hepatitis C testing services.

Testing services will be offered the third Thursday of every month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the old library at 120 East Main Street in Washington. Appointments are not necessary.

For more information on these services or to be pre-screened for qualifications call Cody Shafer at 319-356-6040.