National HIV Testing Day - It's about YOU

By Deb LeBel

Saturday, June 27th was National HIV Testing Day (NHTD). For the past month, we've focused on real stories by real people about what taking an HIV test meant to them, through our “I Know, I Took the Test ” blog series and widget. We highlighted real personal HIV testing stories collected by organizations such as The Positive Project, Southern AIDS Living Quilt, National Association of People with AIDS, and POZ. We've been moved by the stories of people young and old, heterosexual and gay, male, female and transgender, people from different races and ethnicities, and people who have tested positive and negative for HIV. We've been inspired by their courage in offering their stories to all of us.

I Know, I Took the Test: My HIV Testing Story

By Miguel Gomez

Whitman-Walker Mobile HIV Testing Van

National HIV Testing Day was last Saturday. All month we've encouraged people to listen to real stories from real people about what taking an HIV test means to them. We used a widget to show short videos of both HIV+ and HIV- people sharing their stories about getting tested. And as we moved towards the end of this 4-week National HIV Testing Day blog series, we also listened to the President of the United States talking about his experience taking an HIV test.

I wanted to add to this conversation and share my experience as a gay man getting an HIV test last week.

National HIV Testing Day - A message from President Obama

by Miguel Gomez

Throughout the month of June, we've been asking people to share their HIV testing stories.

Today, in recognition of National HIV Testing Day, President Obama released a special video message about the importance of HIV testing and his own experiences getting an HIV test in Kenya.

The White House has used Twitter , YouTube and other new media tools to get the word out about this video and to spread the word about the importance of knowing your HIV status. We encourage you to watch the video and share it with your friends, co-workers and family.

To find a local HIV testing site, send a text message with your ZIP code to KNOWIT (566948) or visit www.HIVtest.org.

I Know. I Took The Test: Stories from The Positive Project

Interview of Tony Miles by Jennie Anderson

Back in March, we shared videos from The Positive Project in honor of National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Watching those videos reinforced the power of sharing personal stories about HIV through new media -- and helped inspire our “I Know. I Took the Test” initiative for National HIV Testing Day. Today I'm pleased to share some insights from The Positive Project's Tony Miles as part of our month-long series about HIV testing story initiatives:

I Know. I Took The Test: Stories from Second Life

Interview of Jena Ball by Michelle Samplin-Salgado

Jena Ball and Michelle Samplin-Salgado in Second Life

We’ve shared HIV testing story intiatives from the Southern AIDS Living Quilt, POZ magazine, and the National Association of People with AIDS leading up to National HIV Testing Day. Today’s post will take us “in world” to some virtual testing day story initiatives happening in Karuna , the National Library of Medicine’s island for AIDS outreach and information in the virtual world of Second Life. Though these stories are from avatars , they are equally as “real” as the others we’ve shared. I spoke to Jena Ball, Project Coordinator of Karuna (Jenaia Morane in Second Life). She told me about the Karuna’s new story initiative, “Healing Quests” that was launched in honor of National HIV Testing Day: