RSS
Home
Using twitter and the blogosphere to promote national HIV testing day
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
This Friday, June 27, is National HIV Testing Day.
Why does HIV testing need to be promoted? The answer may shock you - 1 million people in the United States are infected with HIV and 25% of them, approximately 250,000 people, have no idea they are HIV positive. People who don’t know they are HIV positive are at increased risk for infecting others. In addition, if they are unaware of their status they are not receiving lifesaving antiviral medications.
Anyone who is sexually active should be tested. The American College of OB/GYN recommends women be tested every year because the rate of HIV is increasing disproportionately among women: in 1985 only 8% of HIV positive individuals were women but in 2005 that number jumped to 27%. Teenage girls, between the ages of 13 and 19 are at the greatest risk as studies suggest they are least likely to engage in safe sex practices.
There are three main barriers to HIV testing: denial, stigma, and access
To help break down these barriers the Federal Government is harnessing the power of the Internet. The idea? If millions and millions of people tweet and blog about HIV the stigma may fade and people will start to recognize their risk.
What can we do?
- Talk about what HIV testing means to you on your own blog, Facebook, or go to the AIDS.gov blog and read some stories and share your own
- Find out where you can get tested and do it. Tell your friends and family as well. Check out www.HIVtest.org to find the nearest place for free, confidential testing. Those without Internet access can search for a testing site on the fly with their cell phone by texting their ZIP code to “KNOWIT” (566948)
- Tweet about it. Use the #NHTD09 hashtag and follow AIDS.gov on twitter
- Get educated with HIV facts from the CDC. More than 1 million people in the U.S. have HIV and more than 50,000 are infected every year; that translates into a new HIV infection every 9-½ minutes.
What’s my experience with HIV testing? In 2003 I was tested during my pregnancy and was so relieved to hear I was HIV negative. Waiting for the result was a bit anxiety provoking, but as an OB/GYN I knew the benefits of HIV testing during pregnancy. HIV positive women can transmit the virus to their baby, but the right medication can dramatically lower this risk.
I can’t get tested this Friday, so I will get my blood drawn on Thursday and tweet about it at twitter.com/DrJenGunter.
There are three days to go. Make your plans for getting an HIV test and spread the word to your community.
For more info: www.HIVtest.org.
Remember, this column does not constitute individual medical advice
You might also enjoy these:
More About:
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
Normal 0 0 1 446 2546 21 5 3126 11.1282 0 0 0 It is an embarrassing …
Students form a human pink ribbon (AP Photo/The Piqua Daily Call, Mike Ullery The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued new …
