Barbara Lee Observes National HIV Testing Day, Gets Tested with Members of Congress

“Testing is one of the most crucial and effective tools we have in responding to the AIDS epidemic.  The only way to eliminate stigma in our communities is by getting informed and knowing your status.  I encourage my constituents and everyone in the country to take part in this important day by going to a testing location near them and taking control of their health.

“Despite the many accomplishments we have made in the fight against HIV and AIDS here at home, still, nearly 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the United States and more than 21 percent of those infected do not even know it.  Expanding routine HIV testing is essential to improving both individual and public health.  Testing is the only way to learn of one’s HIV status, and we know that appropriate treatment can suppress the ability to transmit the virus.

“I am happy to announce that Mike’s Pharmacy in Oakland, California was selected to take part in a new pilot project funded by the Centers for Disease Control to provide free testing in drugstores across the nation.  Yesterday, I joined a number of my colleagues in getting tested and will continue to do so until we never ever need another HIV Testing Day.”

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National HIV Testing Day is organized every year by the National Association of People With AIDS, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on June 27^th.  The annual theme is “Take the test, take control,” emphasizing that knowing your status gives you control of your life. As part of this campaign, they encourage everyone to visit a local health service organization to discuss the importance of getting tested. To find a testing site near you please visit the CDC’s website at: http://hivtest.org/.

Congresswoman Lee has been a leader in the fight against the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. She co-authored legislation signed into law creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in 2000, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003, the PEPFAR Reauthorization Act in 2008, and in 2005 legislation addressing the needs of orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS.  She has also been a leader in the effort to establish a National AIDS Strategy, and is a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services & Education with jurisdiction over all domestic HIV/AIDS funding.  She is the only United States representative on United Nations Development Programme’s Global Commission on HIV and the Law and was the original sponsor of legislation that lead to the repeal of the Immigration and Travel ban that barred the entry of HIV positive individuals. The repeal allowed the International AIDS conference - scheduled for July 2012 in Washington DC - to be held in the U.S. after 20 years.

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