AIDS Healthcare Foundation:
“The
HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the United States”
AHF’s
Magic Johnson ‘Testing America’ Tour, a six-month, 48-state national
cross-country HIV testing tour, will ride into Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas,
for four days of testing events. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will
join Commissioner Marti VanRavenswaay (Precinct 2) at a press
conference Tuesday, February 2nd, at 2:00 p.m.
at the Tarrant County Precinct 2 office - 700 E. Abrams St., Suite
#304, Arlington, TX 76010-1239 to announce the arrival of the mobile
unit and to promote testing in the days leading up to National Black
HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (Sunday, February 7th). Four testing
events will take place over four days at several Dallas/Ft. Worth
locations and will include free HIV testing as well as other health
screenings.
The testing will take place on AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF’s) new,
state-of-the-art ‘Testing America’ mobile HIV testing unit named
in honor of and in partnership with basketball legend Earvin “Magic”
Johnson, Jr. The mobile unit will be available for filming and tours at
the press conference. AHF is working in conjunction including Tarrant
County Public Health, AIDS Outreach Center and the MHMR of Tarrant
County to provide the testing.
The AHF/Magic Johnson ‘Testing America’ tour is part of a collaborative
effort to raise local and national awareness about the importance — and
ease — of HIV testing and to challenge attitudes about moving toward a
streamlined model of HIV testing and counseling nationwide. AIDS
Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is proud to continue its second HIV
Testing Tour across the US after the successful completion of its recent
and ambitious 14-city AHF Magic Johnson HIV Testing Caravan in mid-2009.
“Working with respected local partners including Tarrant County Public
Health, AIDS Outreach Center and the MHMR of Tarrant County, we plan on
demonstrating just how easy HIV testing can be. At each stop along the
way on this nationwide tour — including Dallas/Ft. Worth — we will host
or participate in free mobile HIV testing events and media events to
raise awareness about the importance of testing. We would like to thank
Commissioner VanRavenswaay and INSPIRE/Free World Bound for joining with
AHF in this important endeavor,” said Azul Mares-DelGrasso, Field
Services Manager, National HIV Testing Tour, AHF’s Public Health
Division. “After six months on the road, our ‘Testing America’ tour
culminates with a major testing event in New York City on Sunday, June 27th
— National HIV Testing Day.”
During the testing tour, AIDS Healthcare Foundation will also present
$1,000 grants to each of the local partners AHF is collaborating with
along the way. And throughout the course of the cross country HIV
testing tour, HIV testing counselors will also supply a steady stream of
updates, videos and images via new media: YouTube, Facebook and Twitter
postings from along the route, interviews with local partners,
government officials and, when appropriate and available, interviews
with people who were tested on the mobile unit. To learn how you can
sign up to follow the ‘Testing America’ tour on these social media
outlets, please visit www.freehivtest.net.
HIV Statistics in the United States