Three Ohio Cities Teaming Up to Provide Increased HIV Testing -- 9.21.2015
Press Release - September 21,
2015
Contacts: Jose Rodriguez, Columbus Public Health, 604-5025, [email protected]
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Three Ohio Cities Teaming Up to Provide Increased HIV Testing
to Improve Residents’ Health
Joint Efforts Part of National Gay Men’s HIV/Awareness Day on
September 27
Public health and HIV/AIDS organizations in Ohio’s big three
Cs – Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland – are teaming up to provide increased
HIV testing from September 20-26 in support of National Gay Men’s HIV/Awareness
Day on September 27.
Extended testing hours, mobile testing, special events and
health information will be offered in each city to encourage at risk
communities to know their HIV status and get tested. In support of these
efforts, organizers are hosting a Big C Testing Drive Challenge to promote
local pride and encourage more people to get tested. Participants also
will be encouraged to get Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) if they are HIV
negative and to always get tested for syphilis.
A complete list of events in each city is available at https://www.columbus.gov/ngmhaad/.
Gay and bisexual men (MSM) of all races are most severely
affected by HIV. While only four percent of men in the U.S. are MSM, the
rate of new HIV diagnoses in MSM is more than 44 times that of other men.
Additionally, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows that
between 2008 and 2010, the number of new infections among MSM increased by 12
percent. Among young MSM ages 13-24, new infections increased 22 percent.
Additionally, 15 percent of MSM living with HIV do not know they are infected.
“We are proud to join our partners in Cincinnati and
Cleveland to serve the health and wellness needs of at risk gay and bisexual
men – a community we all care deeply about and are committed to serve,” says
Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Teresa Long. “We are collaborating to
increase HIV testing so more people know their status and get PrEP-ed if they
are HIV negative to protect their health and the health of the community.”
The National Association of People with AIDS launched the
National Gay HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in 2008 to recognize the disproportionate
impact of the AIDS epidemic on gay men.
For more information or to locate HIV testing sites, visit https://www.columbus.gov/ngmhaad/.
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