South Dakota HIV/AIDS facts and information

As of December 31, 2022, the South Dakota Department of Health reports 725 individuals that are living with HIV in the state. This data has been made available since March of 2023.

31 people were newly diagnosed by the end of 2021.

HIVSurveillanceReport

South Dakota HIV/AIDS Statistics
through December 2021

Number of South Dakota residents diagnosed with HIV — 723
Estimated number of diagnosed who have been linked to care – 25 (80.6%)
Estimated number of linked to care who have remained in care – 606 (88.2%)
Estimated number of diagnosed late – 9 (29.0%)
Estimated number of HIV+ individuals in South Dakota who have achieved viral suppression – 380 (55.3%)

South Dakota Department of Health
HIV/AIDS information.

How you CAN contract HIV

Blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast feeding

Unprotected sexual contact (anal, vaginal, or oral) with an individual living with HIV
Sharing needles and syringes – injecting drugs
Receiving blood transfusions or organs between January 1977 and June 1985 (blood and organs received after June 1985 are considered safe from HIV)
Mother to baby before, during, or after birth (HIV may be transmitted through breast milk if infant is nursed by an HIV infected mother)
Occupation in healthcare or lab

How you WON’T CONTRACT HIV

Not by being bitten by mosquitoes or other bugs
Not by being bitten by an animal
Not through saliva, tears, urine, stool
Not by eating food handled, prepared, or served by someone living with HIV
Not by sharing toilets, telephones, or clothes
Not by sharing forks, spoons, knives, or drinking glasses
Not by touching, hugging, or kissing a person living with HIV
Not by attending school, participating in sports, church, shopping malls, or other public places with people living with HIV

How You Can Reduce Your Risk of Exposure to HIV

Abstain from having sexual intercourse. Your risk of exposure to HIV through
sexual contact becomes zero when you are not exposed to potentially infectious blood, semen, or vaginal secretions.
Develop a monogamous relationship with mutual fidelity. Persons who are not infected and in a monogamous (one sex partner) relationship with mutual fidelity (no cheating), have no risk of exposure to HIV through sex (provided neither shares IV drug needles).
Use of condoms can reduce your risk of any sexually transmitted disease, including HIV. Brand name latex is best.
Do not share needles or syringes, if injecting drugs.
If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, contact our office to discuss testing options.

Symptoms of HIV Infection

The only way to know whether you have HIV is to be tested.
You cannot rely on symptoms alone because some people who have contracted HIV do not have symptoms for many years.
Someone can look and feel healthy but could still test positive for HIV.
In fact, one quarter of individuals who have contracted HIV in the United States do not know that they are HIV positive. See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Q&A for more information.

HIV Testing

Once HIV enters the body, the body starts to produce antibodies—substances the immune system creates after infection.
There are many different kinds of HIV tests, including rapid tests and home test kits.
All HIV tests approved by the US government are very good at finding HIV. See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Q&A on testing for more information.

Finding a Testing Site

Heartland Health offers FREE rapid HIV testing at our office location and you can obtain your results in 20 minutes.
Heartland Health does not offer other STD testing, use the links below to find additional STD testing sites in your area.
You can locate additional testing sites by clicking here or visiting the Department of Health web page, the CDC HIV testing database or by calling CDC-INFO (formerly the CDC National AIDS Hotline) at 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) 24 Hours/Day. You do not have to give any personal information about yourself to use these services to find a testing site.