The 25th annual World AIDS Day is Saturday, December 1, and the Will County Health Department is encouraging sexually active individuals to use the occasion to learn their HIV status by getting tested.

Early knowledge of your HIV status provides access to life-extending treatment options. There are numerous options available to Will County residents looking for testing services. The Health Department offers HIV testing at six sites. For information about testing options in Bolingbrook, University Park, or multiple sites in Joliet, telephone 815-727-8830.

AIDS is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). By damaging your immune system, HIV compromises your body's ability to fight organisms that cause disease.

World AIDS Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the epidemic of diseases caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed millions of people worldwide, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history.

A key component of getting people into treatment is early and accurate HIV testing and diagnosis. Testing is the only way to identify the more than 210,000 Americans currently living with HIV who do not know they are infected. Nationally, more than a million Americans are currently living with HIV.

Knowing your HIV status also contributes to healthy decision making and limits the spread of a dangerous viral infection. For more information about HIV/AIDS, visit www.cdc.gov/hiv, or telephone 815-727-8830.