In partnership with a host of local health-related nonprofits, D.C. officials will kick off a citywide initiative Tuesday to get all District residents between the ages of 14 to 84 screened for HIV. The campaign — “Come Together DC- Get Screened for HIV” — launches on National HIV Testing Day, an annual nationwide screening day organized by the Silver Spring-based nonprofit National Association of People with AIDS. The outreach campaign will include public service announcements on local television stations and in Metro stations.
The District has one of the highest rates of HIV in the country. It is estimated that 1 in 20 Washington residents has the virus. The city also has the highest rate of AIDS cases in the country at 179 per 100,000 people.
While hundreds are expected to get tested Tuesday, many nonprofits will offer free HIV testing throughout the year in order to help the city meet its goal of screening all age-appropriate residents by Dec. 31.
“We want people to get screened for HIV because we have medicines and treatments, if you are positive, and — if you are negative — we have prevention tools,” said Marsha A. Martin, senior deputy director of the city’s Administration for HIV Policy and Programs.
Because up to one-third of those with HIV don’t know they have it, getting screened is one of the best ways to help District officials determine how to combat the virus and where to allocate resources, Martin said.
Simply getting an HIV test will help stop the spread of HIV, said Kim Mills, a spokesman for Whitman-Walker Clinic, a D.C.-area nonprofit that provides services to HIV and AIDS patients.
“Testing is so important whether someone is HIV positive or not,” Mills said. “Research shows people who know their status behave more responsibly.”
Some of the hardest hit communities are Wards 7 and 8, Mills said.
In D.C., 79 percent of all AIDS cases are among blacks. Whitman-Walker has two mobile HIV testing units that go to both wards on a regular basis to test residents.
“We’re out in the hardest-hit communities all the time,” he said.
Whitman-Walker — one of many nonprofits offering free HIV screening — tested 259 people last year on HIV Testing Day, but Mills expects the campaign to screen more people will boost that number Tuesday.
Free confidential HIV testing sites in Washington
City officials are urging all District residents between the ages of 14 and 84 to get tested. Getting screened for HIV no longer requires a blood test. Today the test is an oral swab with results in 10 to 12 minutes.
» Whitman-Walker Clinic (Appt. only)
1407 S St.
202-332-3926
» D.C. Dept. of Health HIV/AIDS Administration
64 New York Ave., 5th floor
202-671-4900
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday
» Metro Teen AIDS
651 Pennsylvania Ave.
202-543-9355
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday
» Unity Health Care Southwest Clinic
850 Delaware Ave.
202-548-4520
8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday to Friday
For a complete listing of free testing sites visit http://dchealth.dc.gov
