Wednesday, June 27, marks National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) 2018. This year’s theme, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is “Doing It My Way, Testing for HIV.”
The theme plays off a larger HIV testing and prevention campaign called “Doing It,” which is part of the CDC’s Act Against AIDS initiative. The micro-campaign highlights the fact that people have unique reasons for getting tested. The campaign encourages folks to share their HIV testing stories on social media with the hashtag #DoingItMyWay and, in Spanish, #HaciéndoloAMiManera. For example, you could tweet or describe in a Facebook post what motivates you to get tested for HIV. Or you could simply promote HIV testing and awareness, like some of the tweets included on this POZ page.
On its National HIV Testing Day web page, the CDC notes:
About 1.1 million people in the United States have HIV, and 1 in 7 of them don’t know it. Many people have HIV for years before they get a diagnosis. For those who are living with undiagnosed HIV, testing is the first step in maintaining a healthy life and reducing HIV transmission. CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care and those at high risk get tested at least once a year. Some sexually active gay and bisexual men may benefit from more frequent testing (every 3 to 6 months).
Knowing your HIV status gives you powerful information to help keep you and your partner healthy. Join POZ in raising awareness about the importance of HIV testing and early diagnosis of HIV. Share why and how you are getting tested for a chance to be featured on the “Doing It My Way” social wall.
The CDC offers a wide variety of HIV testing resources, including social media banners for #NHTD and its #DoingIt campaign.
Read more on POZ.com.
Links to related resources:
- Download social media kits and resources from the CDC
- Learn more about NHTD from HIV.gov
- Read the CDC’s National HIV Testing Day Dear Colleague Letter
- Read this HIV.gov blog which reports on progress toward the National HIV/AIDS Strategy’s 2020 target for HIV status awareness.
- Read or listen to “HIV Negative: Last Tested on [Enter Date Here]”
- Read this article from HIV.gov, “National HIV Testing Day Efforts Increase HIV Testing but Testing Opportunities Still Missed During Most Health Care Visits”
- Read POZ blogger Shawn Decker’s recent blog post on raising HIV testing awareness, “#DoingItMyWay and Why I’m Positively for HIV Testing”
- Learn the POZ Basics on HIV Testing and click through POZ’s interactive special “When Should I Get Tested?”
- For related POZ information in Spanish, click here. (Para información
sobre como hacerse laprueba del VIH,haga clic aquí) - Read the 2017 National HIV/AIDS Strategy Progress Report (pdf)
- Learn about unique testing incentives at a Southern health center in POZ’s article “Want Beyoncé and Jay-Z Tickets? Then Get Tested for HIV.”
- Find a testing site near you using the HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator
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