June 27 marks the 15th National HIV Testing Day, when health clinics and hospitals nationwide will sponsor health fairs, community education workshops, and extended testing hours to promote voluntary HIV testing. Every year, the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) cooperates with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to organize this nationwide event.

The purpose of National HIV Testing Day is to encourage those at risk to get tested and to remove the stigma that surrounds HIV tests. This stigma exists because those who actively seek getting tested are subject to others’ judgment and criticism. Due to the nature of acquiring the virus, it is implied that these individuals have participated in behaviors such as unprotected sex, potentially promiscuous or unconventional, as well as illicit drug use.

The CDC claims that the stigmatization of people at risk for HIV continues to be a barrier to testing. Currently, it estimates that about one out of five HIV-positive Americans are unaware of their status, and almost 40 percent of HIV-positive people are not diagnosed until they have already developed AIDS. NAPWA was one of the first groups to recognize the importance of HIV testing and initiated National HIV Testing Day in 1995. NAPWA’s message “Take the Test, Take Control” encourages early diagnosis, which is essential for infected individuals to receive the best care from existing treatments.

Each testing facility differs in the type of test offered and many offer the test for free. Typically, a blood or saliva sample is taken to detect the presence of the body’s antibodies against HIV, which are proteins specifically produced to fight the virus. This test, known as an enzyme immunoassay, is the more conventional method of testing and the results are available within two weeks. Rapid HIV tests also exist and can provide results in 20 minutes. The type of test offered depends on the testing center.

For more information including testing centers and special events, please see the National HIV Testing Day Web site.