Kern County Public Health is partnering with the Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity to host a free Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing clinic on June 24 in recognition of National HIV Testing Day. The event will be held at the Center’s new location and aims to increase awareness about HIV prevention, testing and treatment resources available throughout Kern County.
HIV is a sexually transmitted infection that attacks the body’s immune system by destroying cells that help fight infections. Although there is currently no cure for HIV, early diagnosis and treatment can help individuals live long, healthy lives. Kern County Public Health continues to offer free testing and education to help residents learn their status and access care.
Patrick Salazar, Public Health program manager with Kern County Public Health, said the county experienced a steady increase in HIV diagnoses over the last several years, with the highest number of new cases recorded in 2023.
“I would say over the last eight years, dating back to 2017, is when we really started to see our number of new HIV diagnoses start to creep up each year,” Salazar said. “The highest case count that we ever got to was in 2023, where we had 218 new cases of diagnosed HIV. We had not seen those types of numbers within the last decades.”
Salazar noted that public health data is released with a delay, making 2024 the most recent year available. That data showed a decline in new HIV diagnoses.
“What we did find in 2024 is that our cases went down from 218 in 2023 to 185 new cases,” Salazar said. “Obviously, too many is too many, and we were pleasantly surprised to see the drop from 2023.”
Despite the decrease in cases, Kern County Public Health has faced challenges in maintaining services. In 2025, the department experienced a 25% budget reduction that affected appointment availability for HIV-related services.
“We are offering all HIV services, such as PrEP and HIV treatment,” Salazar said. “But where we have seen some impacts is in terms of appointments. We went from having a very high number of appointment slots down to a much lower number, so we don’t have the capability to get as many people in as we were before.”
To address those limitations, the department has increasingly relied on partnerships with community organizations to connect residents with resources and care.
“Now what we’re having to do is really rely on our community healthcare partners to help leverage those resources and get people connected,” Salazar said. “That’s been our challenge, but we are doing what we can to partner with healthcare providers to ensure continuity of care.”
According to Salazar, partnering with the Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity was a natural fit because of the organization’s existing network and commitment to serving the community.
“I think it was kind of a win-win because we’re providing this needed service so that people know their HIV status,” Salazar said. “For the Center, it fits really well into the types of resources and services they already provide. They have their own networks that they can use to educate and raise awareness about the event, and so do we. We wanted it to be a very open experience for anyone who needs services or testing.”
Salazar also emphasized the importance of regular testing and reducing the stigma surrounding conversations about sexual health.
“What me and my team do is constantly educate people about the importance of not just knowing their HIV status, but understanding their overall sexual health,” Salazar said. “HIV testing is just one piece of that. We want people to feel comfortable getting tested because there is still a lot of taboo and sensitivity around these conversations. We want to normalize discussions about testing and sexual health.”
The Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity and Kern County Public Health will host the free HIV testing event on June 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Center’s new location, 707 18th St. Testing will be available at no cost to community members.
