FORSYTH COUNTY — District 2 Public Health has announced that free HIV testing will be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Forsyth County Health Department.

The department is at 428 Canton Highway in Cumming. The testing will be available in neighboring Hall County during those same hours on June 30.

District 2 is made up of 13 counties in northeastern Georgia and including Forsyth, Hall and Dawson counties.

According to a news release from District 2 Public Health, the test for HIV requires a simple finger stick. If a person has a positive reading, follow-up diagnostic testing may be necessary to determine if the individual is HIV positive.

Each person tested will receive education and counseling about HIV and the test.

One in seven people in the United States who are HIV positive do not know they are infected, according to the health department.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 be tested at least once for HIV.

People who are at higher risk for HIV infection should be tested more often. These groups include: people who inject drugs; individuals who have had several sex partners; and those who have had a sexually transmitted disease or have sought treatment for hepatitis or tuberculosis.