2022 National HIV Testing Day Theme Announcement
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Dear National HIV Testing Day Partners,
On June 27th each year, we observe National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), a day to emphasize and encourage HIV testing. This year, we observe NHTD as COVID-19 and HIV epidemics continue to affect our communities, the nation, public health departments, and healthcare facilities. As we approach NHTD, we want to recognize partners for their vital services that make HIV testing simple, accessible, affordable, and routine.
The NHTD theme for 2022 is “HIV Testing is Self-care.” The World Health Organization defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” The topic of self-care has been particularly prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic as the need for individual and community actions to protect and promote physical and mental health have been so critical. HIV testing is an act of self-care, and knowledge of status is the gateway to engaging in prevention or treatment services that enable individuals, regardless of their status, to live a long and healthy life.
Using this theme, partners can add a tagline to customize as they like. For example:
- HIV Testing is Self-care: Testing is key to ending the HIV epidemic.
- HIV Testing is Self-care: Taking the test is taking care of you.
- HIV Testing is Self-care: Take care of you and others too!
- HIV Testing is Self-care: Choose a test and choose to take care of you.
The NHTD messaging will emphasize that HIV testing can be free, easy, fast, and confidential. HIV self-tests can be done when and where an individual chooses. Messages will also promote locators that allow individuals to search by ZIP code for testing services or self-test kits provided by local, state, and national programs, including locators hosted by hiv.gov and cdc.gov.
The National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States 2022-2025, Objective 1.2: To Increase Knowledge of HIV Status aligns with NHTD as an opportunity for federal agencies to coordinate a consistent messaging campaign to the public and partners about the importance, convenience, and access to HIV testing in the United States.
As part of NHTD, please use the hashtag #HIVTesting Day on your social media channels and communicate to your audiences that there are many options for getting tested for HIV. Testing, including self-testing, is the first step in the care or prevention journey, regardless of the test result, and a critical tool to helping us end the HIV epidemic in the United States. We appreciate all that you contribute to helping us achieve this goal.
Thank you for your support of this year’s National HIV Testing Day!
Harold J. Phillips, MRP
Director
Office of National AIDS Policy
The White House
Jonathan H. Mermin, MD, MPH
Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General, USPHS
Director, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Stay connected: @DrMerminCDCExit Disclaimer and Connections
Demetre C. Daskalakis, MD, MPH
Director
Division of HIV Prevention
National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/hiv