To help encourage African Americans to get tested and to know their HIV status, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) has joined forces with WHUR 96.3 FM radio and the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) for the fifth year in a row to support National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) on Thursday, June 27, 2013.
The event will provide free and confidential HIV testing, information, games and prizes in front of the NCNW building at 633 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street, NW) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
According to data released in 2008 by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), African Americans represent about 12 percent of the population, yet they account for nearly half of all new HIV infections (45 percent) and of people living with HIV/AIDS (46 percent). Approximately one in 16 black men will be diagnosed with HIV over their lifetime, as will one in 30 black women.
“Getting tested for HIV is an important step in taking ownership of our health and lives,” said Marjorie Innocent, Ph.D., CBCF vice president of Research & Programs. “It’s also about focusing on prevention and fostering healthier relationships and communities.”
CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 be tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care and once a year for those with increased risk of HIV infection.
“Getting an HIV test is a critical first step to take control of your health,” said Dr. Innocent. “If a person tests positive for HIV, they will be linked to medical care so that they can stay healthy longer.”
The Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI) is a partnership between CDC and 19 of the nation’s leading civil rights and social justice organizations to integrate HIV prevention into their existing outreach programs. For more information on Act Against AIDS and the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative, please visit www.cbcfinc.org and www.actagainstaids.org.