In recognition of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Monday, March 10, Palm Springs’ Desert AIDS Program is offering free HIV testing for women and girls in California’s Coachella Valley, the Palm Springs Sun/mydesert.com reports (mydesert.com, 3/7).

The newspaper spoke with Dr. Shubha Kerkar, who has been with Desert AIDS Project for more than 14 years and is part of its female-centric program, called The 100 Women.

“In the past 25 years of this epidemic, women have been unaware that they might be at risk,” Kerkar told the Palm Springs Sun. “On this day of HIV/AIDS awareness I hope each woman aspires to gain knowledge about this virus and its two decades of devastation throughout this world. Knowledge is power. Get tested.”