National HIV Testing Day

Founded in 1983, National HIV Testing Day is anHIV/AIDS as people nationwide learn and get to
annual campaign by the National Association of Peopleknow about the various facts about HIV/AIDS and
with AIDS . It is the oldest coalition of people livingtheir HIV status. As such they can take care of their
with HIV/AIDS in the world and the oldest U.S.health and protect their lives.
national AIDS organization. It encourages individuals toApart from the counseling and testing the National
receive voluntary HIV counseling and testing.HIV Testing Day also clears doubts and myths
The National HIV Testing Day is beneficial to all. It isrelated with HIV Testing. It is also able to reach to
beneficial to both the HIV positive as well as the HIVthose who have never been tested before.There are
negative.The counseling and testing helps people withmany 'Americans' with HIV who are diagnosed quite
HIV virus to take steps to protect their own healthlate in the course of the infection and are not able to
and at the same time the health of their partners.Itbenefit from life prolonging treatments. The National
also helps people who test negative to getHIV Testing Day brings awareness to all as HIV
information and knowledge to protect them fromtesting is easier, accessible and less invasive than
being infected.ever.HIV Testing also reduces new infections as
NAPWA distributes kits to community groups andwhen a person comes to know about being HIV
health departments so that they can help thepositive, that person takes necessary precautions so
National HIV Testing Day campaigns and eventsthat the disease does not spread any further.
targeting their local communities.Workers atNear about 1 million people in United States are HIV
thousands of sites give free and confidential Testingpositive, out of which nearly twenty percent are
and distribute vital information.unaware of their being HIV positive. The National HIV
The National Testing Day is significant as it helpsTesting Day creates awareness and as such helps
people to fight against the threatening and incurablethe people to know their status and protect them.