AHF Applauds Obama for Urging All Americans to Get Tested for HIV

President Encourages Effort to Find More than 230,000 HIV Positive, Undiagnosed Individuals, Those Thought to be the Source for Majority of 56,000 New HIV Infections in U.S. Each Year

By: AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Washington - June 30, 2009

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation’s largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider, praised President Obama’s statement and video message on National HIV Testing Day, Saturday, June 27th. Breaking his personal silence on AIDS since taking office, the President encouraged all Americans to get tested for HIV, to find the more than 230,000 Americans who are unaware they have HIV/AIDS, and are thought to be the source of the majority of the 56,000 yearly HIV infections in the United States.

“After over 150 days of silence, AHF is pleased that not only has the President has chosen to speak on HIV, but that his message—that testing to find those who don’t know they have HIV is one of the best and most direct ways to reduce new infections— is spot on,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AHF. “We hope that the President will continue to strongly reinforce this message, and will put real political will and the necessary funding behind this issue.”

“This welcome message by President Obama is consistent with previous actions within the Centers for Disease Control to prioritize AIDS testing and treatment, and helps confirm the impression that the Obama administration understands that finding the undiagnosed, and getting them into care, is the next great struggle in fighting HIV/AIDS in America,” said Ged Kenslea, AHF’s Communications Director, referring to the administration’s previous dedication of over 70% of new AIDS funding for the CDC to HIV testing and treatment.

Over the past few months, AHF has publicly and vigorously urged President Obama to act forcefully on the AIDS epidemic here and abroad. On Saturday, the same day President Obama first spoke out publicly on AIDS since taking office, AHF concluded its groundbreaking three week, 14 city cross country AHF/Magic Johnson Free HIV testing Caravan in Washington. Throughout the 4339 mile trip, AHF’s testing team performed a total of 727 free HIV tests across the country and identified ‘preliminary’ HIV positive’ individuals in Houston, New Orleans and Columbia, SC. Those individuals found to be HIV positive were immediately linked with local partner agencies for confirmatory testing of their HIV status as well as for linkage to medical care and treatment.

The AHF/Magic Johnson HIV Testing Caravan was an effort to raise local and national awareness about the importance—and ease—of HIV testing and to challenge attitudes about moving toward a streamlined model of HIV testing and counseling.