My Test, My Way – National HIV Testing Day

Each year on June 27^th, the Office of AIDS Research (OAR) joins colleagues and friends to observe National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) to highlight and encourage HIV testing. This year’s NHTD theme is “My Test, My Way,” and provides important information on the many different HIV testing options and places to get tested.

Making a choice to get tested for HIV can be lifesaving, as it is the first step in both the HIV prevention and treatment cascades. As noted in my Director’s blog in 2019, early diagnosis and treatment remain critical for HIV management. When started early, before the onset of symptoms, antiretroviral therapy (ART) is very effective. A jumpstart using ART can decrease the likelihood of acquiring opportunistic infections (OIs) or developing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Fast, confidential, and safe testing is available, including a self-test that can be administered at home, as well as resources to Find Self-Testing Services in Your State. Local health departments, community-based organizations, and federal partners are working in tandem to make HIV testing accessible and easy to locate.

To learn more about testing options, and testing sites near you, read the HIV Testing Overview, and visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Find HIV Prevention Services page. For more information on NHTD, read the HIV.gov-National HIV Testing Day Theme Announcement, and learn about the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund.

The Minority HIV/AIDS Fund is transforming HIV prevention, care, and treatment for communities of color by forming federal, state, and community partnerships to address critical emerging needs and to improve the investment in HIV programs and services for racial and ethnic minorities.

There is no better time than the present to get tested. As noted, there are different alternatives that are designed to suit different individual needs.

The OAR is focused on the advancement of research to end the HIV pandemic and to improve the health outcomes for all people. We will continue to support research on HIV testing and encourage people at risk to get tested, know their status, get linked to care, and receive treatment.

Maureen M. Goodenow, Ph.D.
Associate Director for AIDS Research and
Director, Office of AIDS Research