Barbara Lee and Other Members Get Tested Publicly to Highlight HIV Testing Day
Washington, DC – On the eve of National HIV Testing Day, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) was joined by Frank Oldham, Executive Director for the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and others for a press conference on Capitol Hill designed to highlight the fight against AIDS in the nation’s capitol and to encourage people here and around the nation to get tested. After the press conference, Lee and others proceeded to a mobile testing unit parked on Capitol grounds to publicly get tested for HIV.
“Here in Congress, we have an obligation to lead by example in fighting this disease,” said Lee. “Whether it’s by directing funds specifically to minority communities through the Minority AIDS Initiative, supporting the deployment of rapid testing, or even something as basic as getting tested ourselves, all of us have the ability to make a difference when it comes to battling this disease.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States today is as high as 1,200,000—and more than 25 percent of those who are infected are not aware of it. The rate of infection in the District of Columbia is the highest in the nation – with an estimated 1 in 20 people infected.
Increasing the availability of HIV tests, especially rapid tests kits, and encouraging individuals to seek out voluntary counseling and testing can make a significant difference in reducing the spread of HIV. Unfortunately, barriers to testing still exist, most significantly, the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and the anxiety involving the test itself.
In order to combat both these barriers, the National Association of People with AIDS, in conjunction with the CDC, produces National HIV Testing Day, an annual campaign that culminates on June 27th. This year’s theme is “Take the test, take control,” emphasizing the fact that just getting tested can produce behavioral change regardless of the diagnosis.
For more information on National HIV Testing Day, or to find a testing site in your district, visit the CDC’s website at: http://hivtest.org/.
As a leader Congress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Lee has worked to raise awareness about the toll the disease is taking on the African American community and to foster community involvement in stopping its spread. She has introduced resolutions recognizing the goals of National HIV Testing Day, and in 2005 and 2007 the House passed resolutions she introduced supporting the goals of National Black AIDS Awareness Day. She has also reintroduced legislation to allow the distribution of condoms in federal prisons and to develop a strategy to reduce the spread of HIV and other STIs in prisons.
As the coauthor of both the legislation that created the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund, Lee’s accomplishments in promoting effective, bipartisan measures to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and bring treatment to those living with the disease have earned her international recognition as a leader in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
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