National HIV Testing Day

June 27 is annually recognized as National HIV Testing Day in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) now recommends that everyone ages 13–64 get tested. Do you know your status? Who is at risk (you may be surprised)? Roughly 1.1 million people in the United States live with HIV. Alarmingly, it’s estimated that up to 16 percent—nearly one out of six—is unaware of their infection. This is because many symptoms of HIV are common to other illnesses as well and can often be mistaken for something else.  

Why you should care? Despite what you may have heard—anyone can get HIV. Although certain populations are more seriously affected, men and women of all ages, races and sexual orientations are at risk. Major public health agencies, such as the CDC and USPSTF (US Prevention Services Task Force) recommend routine HIV screening for all people ages 13–65. Why test everyone? Despite great advances in the treatment of HIV, the rate of HIV infection isn’t going down in the US, which suggests that current screening protocols have not been effective. The CDC and other authorities hope that screening all people ages 13–65—sometimes called universal screening—may result in earlier detection and a decrease in the spread of the virus.Today, it’s important that everyone make HIV screening their business. Get tested. Know your status. Take the quiz to find out if you’re at risk for HIV. Download our patient brochure for more information. Or visit CDC.gov/HIV for more information.