June 27 is the 17th National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), which is organized annually by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA), with support from CDC and AIDS.gov.Since 1995, NAPWA has been encouraging communities across America to promote HIV testing for its residents. This weekend local companies, outreach programs, volunteer organizations, and corporate sponsors will band together to make people aware of the advantages of regular HIV tests and early diagnosis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that there are over 1 million people across the United States living with AIDS or HIV. Out of those 1 million bodies, it is presumed that there might be close to 250,000 living with HIV/AIDS that are unaware that they have been infected and are carrying the disease. Not being diagnosed holds high risks for people to transfer it to others and a great risk of the disease progressing without any treatment.

During National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) each year, NAPWA makes sure it recognizes the fact that the specific treatment and care of HIV patients is expensive, extensive, and consistent meaning that not many people have the resources to treat such a disease; not to mention the stigma associated the diagnosis. With this in mind, NAPWA works with the media, local government offices, health departments, and a bunch of local organizations to spread the word that being tested is better than not knowing.

NAPWA has been working overtime since its foundation in 1983, is the oldest AIDS organization in the nation. Being number one has its advantages because having the first connections between the infected communities and outreach services proves the 25-plus years of communication success. NAPWA is a living testament to the importance of early diagnosis and it strives to lessen the stigma that makes people afraid to face the testing needle.

With thousands of testing sites for HIV and counseling centers across the nation, there is no reason for at-risk individuals not to get tested…except fear. NAPWA’s goal is to calm those fears and get as many people tested as possible or a commitment to get tested. There are many events associated with this important awareness day like health fairs, community outreach activities, media events at or around some testing centers, with some centers extending their hours to accommodate extra patients after work.

Along with getting tested, at-risk patients getting tested will not only have access to a counselor because of a positive result. Counselors are being made available to everyone getting tested in order to remind patients how to stay HIV negative and how to be safe around those who may be infected.

Even though AIDS can become dormant in the body for up to a decade, current statistics show that almost 40 percent of people living with HIV don’t get tested until they have already developed full blown AIDS. With a person being infected every 9 1/2 minutes in America, early detection and the resources and education needed to keep everyone safe from infection are crucial to this devastating epidemic. Be on the lookout for events today, and remember to be tested regularly each year if you could be at risk for HIV/AIDS.