A health official is urging Lakes State residents to go for a test in order to know their HIV status.
Peter Cuut Dongr told Good News Radio that people who take the HIV test are able to plan their future, suggesting that people should presume themselves HIV positive until they test at a VCT, a Voluntary Counselling and Testing centre.He cautioned people against dismissing the importance of VCT services by assuming that they might have not contracted the HIV.
Mr Cuut added that there are other sexually transmitted infections which should not be ignored.
He appealed to people who are 15 and above to visit one of the VCT centres in the state and test for HIV.
Lakes State Government reports last year indicated that over 8,000 women turned up for testing between January and August, most of them expectant mothers and 919 men were tested during the same period.
The tests revealed that 207 people were HIV positive.