This Saturday, June 27th is the National HIV Testing Day. Coordinated by The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA), this testing campaign reminds us that this completely preventable virus is alive and well and still spreading in the U.S.  On average, someone in this country is infected with HIV every nine and a half minutes.  And of the one million or so people here living with HIV, one in five don't know they're positive and nearly 40% aren't diagnosed until they've developed AIDS. 

The CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 16 and 64 gets tested at least once as a part of their routine medical care, while those in certain higher risk groups are urged to get tested at least once a year. Who's at higher risk? Injection drug users. Men who have sex with men. And those with multiple sex partners.  That last category doesn't mean ménage à trois. We're talking about any sexually active men or women, who are not in a long term, mutually monogamous relationship. 

It's never been easier to find a testing site.  You can type in your zip code online, text your zip to KNOWIT (566948), or call 1-800-CDC-INFO to find the testing center nearest you. So if you've never been tested or if you fall into one of those higher risk groups, you have no excuse. Take the test. Take control.