Search and Share: Taking Action with One Simple Tool for National HIV Testing Day

By Michelle Samplin-Salgado, New Media Strategist, AIDS.gov

National HIV Testing Day (NHTD)— June 27— is less than a week away and it’s not too late to take action. As we heard last week from NASTAD’s Murray Penner, NHTD is a powerful opportunity to promote testing and increase HIV awareness throughout the year.

One simple thing we’ve asked our colleagues to do for NHTD is to help get the word out about the HIV/AIDS Prevention & Service Provider Locator Widget. As we mentioned earlier in June, we developed the locator with HUD, SAMHSA, HRSA, CDC, and others, to help people locate HIV prevention, housing, mental health, substance abuse, testing, and treatment services in their area through one simple tool. We’ve seen it show up on websites and blogs from Denver to Michigan . The API Wellness Center has the widget on their site, as does HRSA, SAMHSA, the White House, and the National Association of People with AIDS . And the list keeps growing!

Some of our colleagues have shared with us why they think the widget is valuable and here’s what they had to say:

"A widget for your computer to find your local AIDS service organization, how great is that? I hope that everyone will download this widget and get all of their friends to download it. For people with AIDS and people of color this will be invaluable. Thank you for making this a reality." Paul Kawata, Executive Director, National Minority AIDS Council .

"I am still here, alive and well, 22 years after receiving an HIV diagnosis. I attribute this largely to the fact that I took the test. I was really afraid to find out but I am so glad I fought through the fear to know my HIV status. This widget helps people locate testing sites and connect with important services " Vanessa Johnson, JD, Executive Vice President, National Association of People with AIDS .

"The widget is an important tool which helps our Hispanic/Latino communities throughout the U.S. access quality health services, in particular HIV testing." Guillermo Chacón, CEO and President, Latino Commission on AIDS .

Do you have a website or blog? If so we encourage you to add the widget to your site.

If you already have the widget on your site, thank you! We hope you will ask your colleagues and friends to do the same. One important message we’d like to leave you with is that when you develop a new media tool, it’s critical to also promote it and encourage people to talk about it.

*Note:You may need to talk with the person who maintains your website to embed the widget.