National Minority AIDS Council Building Healthier Communities
Building Leadership in Communities of Color to Address HIV/AIDS
June 27 is National HIV Testing Day
June 27 is National HIV Testing Day
April 29, 2008
National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) is an annual campaign produced by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) meant to raise awareness of the importance of knowing one's HIV status and to encourage at-risk individuals to receive voluntary HIV counseling and testing. NAPWA distributes campaign kits to community groups and health departments of all sizes to help create NHTD campaigns and events targeting their local communities. Click here to visit NAPWA's website for kits, posters and fact sheets as well as other resources and materials for NHTD.
CDC estimates that more than 1 million Americans are living with HIV, and one
quarter of those people are unaware of their infection. HIV testing enables
people with HIV to take steps to protect their own health and that of their
partners, and helps people who test negative get the information they need to
stay uninfected.
Across the country, thousands of HIV testing sites,
state and local health departments, and community-based HIV/AIDS service
providers will participate in NHTD events, by holding health fairs, providing
community and media outreach, hosting special testing-related events or
operating extended hours. Some of these events may be scheduled in the days and
weeks surrounding NHTD.
NHTD organizers will also reach out to communities at increased risk of HIV infection, including African American and Latino populations, both of which are disproportionately affected with HIV when compared to other demographic groups in the United States. The campaign also highlights the HIVtest.org website, which allows users to locate HIV testing sites in their area.
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