SCED offers free no-needles HIV testing

HIV testing is important for several reasons.

Those who come to the Beckley office for testing are happy to learn there are no needles involved. Testing is done with a small pad placed inside the mouth and held between the gums and the cheek, Montgomery said.

“It’s salty and pulls out the HIV antibodies, if you have been exposed to them. We have you hold the pad in place for about two minutes. Then we send it to the lab. In a week or two, you will know the results,” she said.

All testing is confidential. “I’m the only person who knows besides the person in the lab,” she said.read more