The province is encouraging Nova Scotians to get tested for AIDS and HIV after numbers show the amount of people in the province who have the virus is well below the national average.

Rationale for the call to testing is that people may be carrying and spreading the virus and not know it.

“If you think you might be at risk or exposed to HIV that you find that out as soon as possible so that you do have the benefit of early treatment,” says Michelle Proctor-Simms with the Nova Scotia Advisory Commission on AIDS.

With so many people finding out later the commission suspects more people may have the virus and be spreading it than those who have been tested.

“Stigma is still a driver of the epidemic and it does prevent some people from coming forward for testing,” says Proctor-Simms.

She says mroe needs to be done to alleviate the stigma.