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HIV TESTING DAY — THE
FIRST STEP IN PREVENTION
Did you know that 1 in 4 New Yorkers living with HIV is still
unaware of his or her status? Why is this statistic important? If someone has HIV and doesn't
know it, that person is not receiving treatment and likely to become
very ill at some point in the future. In addition, not knowing one's
HIV status increases the likelihood of transmitting the disease to
others.
June 27 marks the 12th annual National HIV Testing Day. This
year has special significance as the world commemorates the 25th
anniversary of AIDS.
With the great accessibility and simplicity of rapid testing
technology, GMHC has been able to offer testing at offsite locations
to increase the availability of HIV testing beyond its doors. In
this 25th year of the pandemic, GMHC further expanded the opportunity
to get tested by launching a mobile testing van that goes to different
venues around New York City to offer testing where people socialize,
including in front of bars, clubs, public parks, bathhouses, schools,
outside commercial stores, and at the piers.
GMHC offers free, confidential testing. To find out how to get
an HIV test, anyone can call our toll-free hotline at 800.243.7692.
In 2005, the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated
that more than 1,000,000 people in the United States were living with
HIV, with 1/3 of those unknowingly living with HIV — that translates
to over 300,000 people. As unacceptable as these numbers are, we
can change them. Testing is the first step to HIV prevention and
treatment, and certainly an easier step than the alternative of
becoming fatally ill.
We all matter. On this day of national testing, and every other
day, GMHC urges everyone to take the first step for ourselves and
those we love. As this year's theme says, "take the test, take
control."
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© 2006 Gay Men's Health Crisis
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