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

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

Paul Kawata, National Minority AIDS Council

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!

National HIV Testing Day Throughout the Year!

Guest Post by Murray Penner, Deputy Director, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors

Murray Penner,
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors

National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) (PDF) on June 27^th is an important day each year when state and local health departments and many community-based organizations (CBOs) across the nation engage with communities to promote HIV testing and early diagnosis. This visibility is an important opportunity to encourage routine HIV (as well as STD) testing, but it’s not the only time for us all to promote the importance of knowing one’s HIV status.

The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) promotes the importance of routine testing throughout the year, in conjunction with state and local health departments and their partnerships with CBOs and other partners in their jurisdictions.

NASTAD, in partnership with Alere (formerly Inverness Medical), has been working over the last several years to leverage the visibility of other HIV/AIDS Awareness Days (e.g., National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, etc.) and use those opportunities to promote routine HIV testing. This is accomplished by promoting testing events on HIV/AIDS awareness days and other events throughout the year, including gay pride festivals and other community events.

Working to Break the Silence and Raise HIV/AIDS Awareness in Caribbean American Communities

By Dr. Garth Graham, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Cross-posted from the Office of National AIDS Policy Blog)

Caribbean American communities are incredibly diverse and have contributed greatly to the growth of this Nation. I learned from watching my mother, who worked as a nurse taking care of sugar cane plantation workers, not only the importance of hard work and dedication but also the importance of family and community. As a community, we face a significant challenge in tackling HIV. Even though Caribbean Americans comprise less than 10 percent of the total U.S. population, they are included in the disproportionately high rate of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses that occur in Black Americans. As a clinician and a professional in the field of public health, I have seen those challenges first hand. Yet as member of the community, I also know what we can accomplish if we work together. Caribbean American leaders can play an especially important role in the community to promote HIV awareness to address this public health issue. To help prevent HIV/AIDS, community leaders and care providers need to communicate about HIV in culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate ways.

Gearing up for National HIV Testing Day (June 27): Check Out The HIV Prevention and Service Widget

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

It's June 1st and we're gearing up for National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) later this month on June 27. This year, and every year, our goal is to encourage people to take an HIV test. More than one million people are estimated to be living with HIV in the United States. Of those, 200,000 people (that's one in every five) don't know that they are HIV positive. When people know their HIV status they are more likely to protect their health and the health of their partners.

Even though many understand the importance of getting regularly tested for HIV, we also know that for some it's just not that simple. We know that 30 years after the start of the epidemic, there is still stigma about HIV and AIDS. We know that there are barriers to care and treatment. And we know that not everyone is aware of how or where to get an HIV test, or what resources are available for those who are HIV positive.

The good news is that there are hundreds of organizations and agencies across the country that not only offer free or low-cost HIV testing, but also provide treatment and support services for people living with HIV. Many of our Federal agency partners have databases of information about where to go for these services. As a portal for Federal HIV resources and programs, we've worked with HUD's Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program, SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the CDC, and others to develop the HIV/AIDS Prevention & Service Provider Locator. By entering your location (ZIP code, city and state), you can locate nearby prevention, housing, mental health, substance abuse, testing, and treatment services.

National HIV Testing Day Twitter Town Hall - June 3, 2010

Guest post by Karen Resha, MA, Lead Health Communication Specialist, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC

Karen Resha, MA, NCHHSTP, CDC

On June 3, 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through our National Prevention Information Network (CDCNPIN) will host its first Twitter Town Hall in preparation for the 2010 National HIV Testing Day (NHTD). We are inviting you to attend this exciting event, but first let me answer what may be your first and basic question: “What is a Twitter Town Hall”?

As a Lead Health Communication Specialist at the CDC, I have heard of Twitter. I even have an account. But have I used it? Not really. I must admit that I am a novice. What I do know is that a Twitter Town Hall is not simply tweeting (sending short messages), but tweeting with a focus, for a set period of time, on the same topic, with other people and organizations on Twitter. Twitter has an impressive reach of more than 100 million users worldwide — so these Town Halls have the capability of reaching an unheard of number of people and being perhaps the largest Town Hall ever held. Both President Obama and the First Lady have hosted town halls and/or discussions via Twitter.