COLUMBIA — Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services is expanding HIV testing across central Missouri, bringing free rapid testing to clinics in a 37-county region where access has been limited.

The Columbia City Council approved the partnership on Feb. 16. It connects the Health Department with Lifeline Services clinic and several county health departments to distribute free rapid HIV test kits, with results available in 15 minutes.

HIV, human immunodeficiency virus, is the virus that causes AIDS, which is a disease that weakens the immune system. HIV is spread through certain, most commonly during unprotected sex or through shared needles.

The expansion comes as Boone County's HIV diagnosis rate of 15.3 per 100,000 residents already exceeds Missouri's statewide rate of 9.17 per 100,000, according to the county's 2023 STI report.

Under the program, clinics will offer HIV testing to all patients during any appointments using an opt-out approach. Everyone is offered a test and can decline, but the offer is universal.

"What this does is increase access for everybody in all those counties to HIV testing, while at the same time decreasing the stigma," said Tracey Bathe, prevention and investigation manager for Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services. "Everyone will be asked if they want an HIV test."

Program coordinator Kaitlyn Wulff has been working since October 2024 to bring the program to the Boone County area. Wulff studied similar opt-out HIV testing programs in Kansas City and St. Louis, reviewing their protocols and procedures before reaching out to health clinics and departments across the region to gauge interest and finalize contracts.

Patients who test positive on the rapid test will receive a follow-up blood draw to confirm the result. The Health Department's disease intervention and case management teams then connect newly diagnosed individuals to medical care, medication and partner services.

Patients who test negative will receive information about PrEP, a daily medication that can reduce the risk of HIV transmission.

"Our goal is to identify infections in individuals who have not been tested previously and provide early diagnoses to ensure timely treatment, ultimately helping to prevent further spread," Bathe said.

Participating facilities include health departments in Audrain, Johnson, Putnam, Gasconade, Pettis, Chariton and Morgan counties, along with Big Tree Medical Clinic and Lifeline Services clinic.

Columbia expands free HIV testing to 37 counties across rural central Missouri