February 7, 2020 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. To raise awareness and prevent the transmission of the HIV virus, the Area 7 program of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County will host a free HIV testing event that day at the Northwest Family Health Center.
February 7, 2020 (FREE HIV & STI testing & education)
Northwest Family Health Center 10AM-3PM
The theme for this year’s National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is “We’re in This Together.” This highlights the importance of social support—from friends, family, colleagues, and partners—when addressing HIV in the black community.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black/African Americans accounted for 43 percent of all HIV diagnoses in the United States despite making up 13 percent of the population. Also, from 2010 to 2016, HIV diagnoses increased 40% among Black/African American gay and bisexual men aged 25-34.
In February 2019, a new national initiative, Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE), was proposed. The plan calls for intensified efforts to diagnose, treat, prevent, and respond to HIV infections in the United States, with an overall goal of reducing new HIV infections by ≥90% by 2030.
The community is encouraged to get educated on HIV/AIDS and get tested by visiting the Talk Test Treat Central Florida web site at: http://talktestcfl.com. The web site has information on testing, treatment, and support in Central Florida.
The Florida Department of Health has developed a comprehensive program for preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and for providing care and treatment to those already infected. This comprehensive approach includes HIV surveillance, education, prevention, counseling, testing, care and treatment. For more information on HIV/AIDS, visit http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/aids/index.html