The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a $1.2 million project that would offer free HIV tests at pharmacies and drugstore clinics, according to the Associated Press.

The pilot program will be implemented in 24 cities and rural communities and will offer tests that only take around 20 minutes to offer preliminary results, said the AP.

The CDC's Dr. Kevin Fenton said in a statement, "By bringing HIV testing into pharmacies, we believe we can reach more people by making testing more accessible and reduce the stigma associated with HIV."

More on GlobalPost: German court rules religious circumcision of minors is 'assault'

Walgreens is among the pharmacies that will take part in the pilot program, according to The Chicago Tribune.

The pharmacies that take part in the program will have specially trained pharmacists and nurse practitioners to privately counsel patrons who test positive, as well as refer them to health care and social service providers, said The Tribune.

More on GlobalPost: Obesity epidemic: Panel urges doctors to prescribe counseling, not meds

The CDC estimates that 1.1 million Americans are infected with HIV, but as many as 20 percent don't know they are carriers, according to CBS News.

CBS News noted that the announcement comes just in time for National HIV Testing Day, on June 27.

The CDC recommends that all Americans between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested at least once, since symptoms or illness from the disease can take up to a decade to manifest.