National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) is an annual observance to encourage people of all ages to get tested for HIV and to know their status. Too many people don't know they have HIV. At the end of 2014, an estimated 1.1 million persons aged 13 and older were living with HIV infection in the United States, including an estimated 166,000 (15%, or 1 in 7) persons whose infections had not been diagnosed. 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.
Testing is the only way for the Americans living with undiagnosed HIV to know their HIV status and get into care. CDC estimates that more than 90% of all new infections could be prevented by proper testing and linking HIV positive persons to care. HIV testing saves lives! It is one of the most powerful tools in the fight against HIV. For more information about National HIV Testing Day and how your agency can get involved, visit: https://npin.cdc.gov/nhtd
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Did You Know?
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination is recommended for all infants, older children and adolescents who were not vaccinated previously, and adults at risk for HBV infection.
Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for all children starting at age 1 year, travelers to certain countries, and others at risk.
CDC recommends that health care providers test everyone for HIV between the ages of 13 and 64 at least once as part of routine health care. Talk to a healthcare provider about getting tested.
HIV is spread through unprotected sex and drug-injecting behaviors, so people who engage in these behaviors should get tested more often.
You can arm yourself with basic information about STDs: How are these diseases spread? How can you protect yourself? What are the treatment options? Read these STD Fact Sheets to find out.
People born from 1945 through 1965 are 5x more likely to have Hepatitis C. While anyone can get Hepatitis C, more than 75% of people with Hepatitis C were born during these years. That’s why CDC recommends that anyone born from 1945 through 1965 get tested for Hepatitis C.
Knowing you have Hepatitis C can help you make important decisions about your health. Successful treatments can eliminate the virus from the body and prevent liver damage, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer.
Getting tested is the only way to know your HIV status. If you are HIV-positive, you can start getting treated, which can improve your health, prolong your life, and greatly lower your chance of spreading HIV to others.
Getting HIV tested can give you some important lifesaving information and can help keep you—and others—safe.