LEWISTON – June 27 marks National HIV Testing Day, a day when community health centers across the country will offer free HIV counseling and testing for men and women.

PreventionWorks Harm Reduction Services and Tri-County Health Services/STD Clinic, the health program of Western Maine Community Action, will join the effort to put the spotlight on HIV counseling and testing.

Tri-County Health Services/STD Clinic and PreventionWorks Harm Reduction Services will offer no-cost confidential or anonymous HIV-antibody testing at the following locations on June 27:

PreventionWorks, 145 Lisbon St., Suite 304, corner of Ash and Lisbon, 786-4697; Tri-County Health, One Auburn Center, Auburn, 795-4019.

The OraSure HIV antibody test will be used, which uses saliva to detect HIV antibodies. Results are usually available within 10 days.

Those who would like to make an appointment to be tested (on any day) can call 795-4019 or 786-4697.

National HIV Testing Day is a project of the National Association of People with AIDS, which began in 1995.

“For the estimated quarter of a million Americans who are infected with HIV but not aware of it, knowledge could save their lives,” said Rich Rossiter, executive director of PreventionWorks.

“While we have made tremendous strides in diagnosing and treating HIV disease and related infections, those advantages mean little to someone who does not know they are infected,” said Sara Hayes, FNP, clinical director of Tri-County Health Services.

The PreventionWorks Web site will soon be available at www.preventionworkshrs.org. The Western Maine Community Action Web site is www.wmca.org.