June 27th: AHF To Host National HIV Testing Day Events

In News by AHF

World’s largest AIDS organization will hold over 20 events nationwide to promote “We Can Do It” HIV testing and prevention

LOS ANGELES (June 23, 2015) — AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global AIDS organization, will commemorate National HIV Testing Day on Saturday, June 27th through events promoting HIV prevention, testing and treatment that will be held in 20 cities across the United States.

“We know that HIV testing and treatment are the best ways to prevent the spread of the virus that burdens communities and, if left unsuppressed, threatens thousands of lives annually. With recent reports showing that people in some regions are actually being diagnosed with AIDS because they weren’t tested and the virus detected at an early stage, this year’s National HIV Testing Day is a call to action that is more important than ever,” said AHF Director of Public Health Lori Mizuno, MPA. “From a roller skating party in Chicago to the grand openings of our new healthcare centers in Houston and Washington, DC, we’re pulling out all the stops at events across the country to stress the importance of everyone knowing their status and getting connected to medical treatment for HIV/AIDS if needed.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1.2 million people in the United States are currently living with HIV, with almost 50,000 people becoming infected with the virus annually. With one in seven people being unaware of their HIV status, the CDC has found that more than 90 percent of new HIV infections in the United States could be prevented by testing and diagnosing people who have HIV and connecting them to medical care to suppress the virus.

AHF’s graphic and online promotion of National HIV Testing Day will feature an update of the iconic “Rosie the Riveter” image from World War II, combining the official National HIV Testing Day logo with the classic “We Can Do It” tagline to encourage people—especially women, who made up one in five new HIV infections in 2010—to get tested and learn their HIV status. Supporters of National HIV Testing Day are encouraged to include #WeCanDoIt and the official #‎NHTD hashtag on their social media posts honoring the commemoration.
For a list of AHF’s National HIV Testing Day events, please visit: http://www.ahf.org/nhtd/.

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