Nearly a quarter of a million people in the United States don’t know they are HIV positive. Are you one of them? Now is the time to get tested and find out.
On February 7, there will be free, confidential testing available at the Tubman Chavez Center at 415 N. Euclid Ave. in San Diego as part of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Rapid HIV Testing, which produces results in 20 minutes, will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m..
“We have been raising awareness in the African-American community since the beginning of the epidemic,” said Terry Cunningham, Chief of the County’s HIV, STD and Hepatitis Branch. “All of the County’s care, treatment and prevention work is color blind. There is a need to raise awareness in all communities.” This effort supports the County’s Live Well San Diego! initiative, a 10-year effort to support healthy, safe and thriving communities.
In San Diego County, about 13 percent of HIV/AIDS cases reported are African Americans. Through 2009, there had been 14,228 AIDS and 4,269 HIV cases reported locally. HIV cases only include figures after April 17, 2006, when California began requiring that cases be reported by name but still anonymously.
The HIV testing event is sponsored by The Faith-Based Working Group of the Kemet Coalition in collaboration with the United African American Ministerial Action Council, the County Health and Human Services Agency, Family Health Centers of San Diego, Christie’s Place, San Ysidro Health Center – Our Place, Planned Parenthood and many other community agencies.
To find out more about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, visit www.nationalblackaidsday.org
