National HIV Testing Day

Currently there are about 1.1 million people living with HIV in the US alone. Of those, about 20 percent have no idea they are infected. What's more, those 20 percent are believed to be responsible for 70 percent of the 56,000 new infections in the US each year. So it's pretty obvious that more HIV testing and earlier diagnosis would drastically reduce the number of HIV infections each year. With that in mind, the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) has sponsored National HIV Testing Day since 1995. the purpose of the day is to raise HIV testing awareness and illustrate its importance in the fight to halt the spread of HIV.

What You Can Do to Raise Testing Awareness?

While there are events all across the US that observe National HIV Testing Day, there are things you can do to make an impact in your own family and your own community. By taking the lead on National HIV Testing Day, you can make a difference and encourage those around you to make a difference too. Here are some of the things you can do in response to HIV and to raise testing awareness on National HIV Testing Day.

Practice Safer Sex - In addition to testing, practicing safer sex is key in the fight against HIV. The HIV risk is significant if safer sex methods are not employed during anal, oral, and vaginal sexual encounters. In additional, the absence of safer sex places you at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia in addition to HIV. Here are some resources that will help you be safe and healthy during each and every sexual encounter.

• Think Before Having Unprotected Sex
• A Woman's Guide to Safer Sex
• Safer Sex When Romance Blooms

Don't Engage in High-Risk Behavior - While any unprotected sexual encounter puts you at risk for HIV, there are some behaviors that put you at higher risk than others. What behaviors carry the highest risk?

• What Behaviors offer the Highest HIV Risk?
• What Factors Increase your HIV Risk
• What is Your HIV Risk?

Talk About the Importance of HIV Prevention - Just like the goal of National HIV Testing Day is to spread the word about HIV and HIV testing, your goal should be to take the same message to friends, loved ones, and colleagues. Here is some information to help spread that message.

• HIV Prevention Facts
• Abstinence vs. Risk Reduction - Which is the Better Approach to HIV Prevention?
• Oral Sex - Not as Safe as many Think

Be the Example - Get an HIV Test - It's time for you to set a good example for your family, your community, and your friends. Do so by getting an HIV test on National Testing Day. Take it one step further by taking someone with you to get tested; a family member; a spouse or partner; or just a friend. Here is some testing information to help you get people to a testing site.

• Not All Home HIV Tests are Alike
• Find Yourself a Testing Site
• Locate a Testing Site in Your State Using Our Index
• How Do You Know You Need an HIV Test?