Special to The Hays Daily News

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one out of five people living with HIV in the U.S. are unaware of their HIV status.

National HIV Testing Day on Saturday is an opportunity for people to learn their HIV status and to gain knowledge to take control of their health and their lives.

"HIV remains a devastating disease, but it is preventable and in most cases treatable," said Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, state health officer and director of the division of health at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

"Anyone who is at risk for HIV infection should get tested so that they can know their HIV status and take the necessary steps to protect their health and that of their partners," he said

In 2008, 106 Kansans were reported to have become infected with HIV during that year. About 56,300 new HIV infections occur in the U.S. each year, according to CDC. This amounts to one new HIV infection approximately every nine-and-a-half minutes.

For information on HIV testing and counseling services in northwest Kansas, contact the following:

* Barton County Health Department, 1300 E. Kansas Ave., Ste. B, Great Bend, (785) 793-1902. Serves Russell and Rush counties.

* Women's Recovery Center of Hoisington, 1410 N. Vine, P.O. Box 299, Hoisington, (785) 653-7385. Serves all Kansas counties.

* Ellis County Health Department, 601 Main, Ste. B, (785) 628-9440.

* Planned Parenthood of Kansas, 122 E. 12th, (785) 628-2434.

* High Plains Mental Health Center, 208 E. Seventh, (785) 628-2871.

* United Methodist Western Kansas Mexican-American Ministries, 712 A St. John, Garden City, (620) 275-1766. Serves Ness and Rush counties.

* Mitchell County Health Department, 310 W. Eighth, Beloit, (785) 738-5175. Serves Smith and Osborne counties.

* Norton County Health Department, 801 N. Norton Ave., Norton, (785) 877-5745.

* Russell County Health Department, 189 W. Luray, Russell, (785) 483-6433.

* Salina-Saline county Health Department-Salia Cares Health Clinic, 125 W. Elm, Salina, (785) 826-6602. Serves Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, Rawlins, Rooks, Russell, Sherman, Sheridan, Smith, Thomas, Trego and Wallace counties.

* Sherman County Health Department, 1622 Broadway, Goodland, (785) 899-4888.

* Harvest America Corp., 212 E. 17th, Goodland, (785) 899-4888. A community-based education and prevention program to reduce HIV transmission among Kansas Hispanic adults and youth.

* Northwest Kansas Human Sexuality and AIDS Resource Center, 990 S. Range, Ste. 7, Colby, (785) 462-8152.

* Thomas County Health Department, 350 S. Range, Ste. 2, Colby, (785) 462-4596. Serves Thomas, Logan, Rawlins and Sheridan counties.