On National HIV/AIDS Testing Day, Everyone is 'Doing It'

June 27 marks National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), the annual observance to promote HIV testing and to encourage people of all ages to get tested for HIV and to know their status. The theme of this year's event is "Doing It."

"'Doing It' is a new national HIV testing and prevention campaign designed to motivate all adults to get tested for HIV and know their status. As part of the Act Against AIDS initiative, 'Doing It' delivers the message that HIV testing should be a part of everyone's regular health routine to keep ourselves and our community healthy. He's doing it. She's doing it. We're doing it. YOU should be doing it, too," reads the website.

More than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV. This campaign features people from across the United States who are living with HIV talking about how sticking with care and treatment helps them stay healthy, protect others, and live longer, healthier lives.

This campaign shows how people living with HIV have overcome barriers to get in care and stay on treatment. On this website, you will find information encouraging people living with HIV to get in care and stay on treatment, as well as resources on how to live well.

Too many people don't know they have HIV. In the United States one in eight don't know they are infected. Getting tested is the first step to finding out if you have HIV. If you have HIV, getting medical care and taking medicines regularly helps you live a longer, healthier life and also lowers the chances of passing HIV on to others.

The HIV Treatment Works campaign also encourages people living with HIV to Get in Care , Stay in Care and Live Well. Today, you can live a longer, healthier life by being in medical care and on HIV treatment. People featured in these videos share how they live well with HIV and how you can, too.

The CDC also encourages you to Start Talking. Stop HIV. This new phase of CDC's Act Against AIDS initiative seeks to reduce new HIV infections among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men by encouraging open discussion about a range of HIV prevention strategies and related sexual health issues between sex partners.

Effective partner communication about HIV can reduce HIV transmission by supporting HIV testing, HIV status disclosure, condom use, and the use of medicines to prevent and treat HIV.
Though they only represent 2 percent of the overall population, gay and bisexual men-including those who inject drugs-account for over half of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United States (57 percent, or an estimated 657,800 people), and two-thirds of all new HIV infections each year.

A 2011 study in 20 U.S. cities with high AIDS prevalence found that 18 percent of gay or bisexual men had HIV. That's about 1 in 6 men. Of those men, 33 percent did not know they had HIV.

"Your life matters and staying healthy is important," reads the campaign. "No matter the type of relationship, communication can be key to finding the right prevention strategy that works for you and your partner."

To find the HIV testing location closest to you, visit https://locator.aids.gov/ or https://gettested.cdc.gov/