Each year I am honored to see all the ways individuals and groups take action for National HIV Testing Day (June 27) — from conversations with loved ones, to getting tested, to attending or organizing local HIV testing events, to hosting press conferences, to convening online events. This year, I was particularly excited to see so much involvement from so many diverse stakeholders — government (Federal, state, and local), community, private sector, and individuals. We were inspired by CDC’s Dr. Kevin Fenton’s remarks during our National HIV Testing Day webinar for Federal employees and grantees on the current and future state of HIV testing.
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.
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.
Every hour and 50 minutes a New Yorker is infected with HIV. In an effort to avert further HIV infections the AIDS Institute’s Clinical Education Initiative’s PEP Center developed the CEI Widget. This CEI Widget educates health care providers about Acute HIV infection, Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and Hepatitis B&C guidelines. The widget technology – desktop application which contains information that can be easily updated from a distance – is being utilized for the first time for HIV medical education.
We're excited to see innovative new media tools being used for HIV/AIDS treatment and care. Check out the New York Times article about this widget, complete with interviews with the the creators.
