Mayor Reed & the City of Atlanta Announce “HIV Testing Day” in Atlanta; Mayor Reed Takes a Confidential HIV
Today, Mayor Kasim Reed and the City of Atlanta announced HIV Testing Day in Atlanta, an event that commemorates the 16th annual National HIV Testing Day and the sixth consecutive year of the Mayor’s Campaign Against HIV, a program of National Association of People With AIDS.
“I am pleased to be joined by Atlanta City Councilman Alex Wan, and a number of leading local and national authorities in the fight against AIDS,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “The three decade long battle against HIV/AIDS is still as much of an urgent priority today as it has ever been. We must all be reminded that this battle is far from over, and it is a battle that all of us must play a role in if we are to achieve victory,” added Mayor Reed.
In observance of National HIV Testing Day, which is officially on Sunday, June 27, Mayor Reed partnered with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Fulton County Health Department, AID Atlanta, National AIDS Education and Services for Minorities (NAESM), Jerusalem House, Black Leadership Commission on AIDS of Metro Atlanta, Aniz, The Living Room, Sister Love, The AIDS Memorial Quilt, Rev. Marvin Moss of Cascade United Methodist Church and CBS Radio to stress to residents of Atlanta that knowing their HIV status is an essential step in taking control of their lives and health.
Mayor Reed was joined by several speakers, including Atlanta City Councilman Alex Wan, who spoke on behalf of Jerusalem House and presented a proclamation of support for National HIV Testing Day in Atlanta on behalf of the Atlanta City Council.
“Testing – and knowing one’s HIV status – is a critical step in helping reduce the transmission of the virus,” said City Councilman Alex Wan. “Equally, testing helps create connections to the many services currently being offered by the tremendous network of HIV/AIDS service organizations in Atlanta. I am proud to be a part of that network through my work with HIV/AIDS services through Jerusalem House, and I am pleased to complement that effort now with my role as a member of the Atlanta City Council.”
There are 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in United States, and more than 20 percent of them are not even aware they are infected. Georgia has the eighth highest rate of infection in the country, with a total of over 31,557 AIDS cases reported in 2006. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was on hand to offer statistics and to shed light on the importance of prevention efforts on the local level.
“The leadership that was demonstrated here at City Hall today with Mayor Kasim Reed is what we need, because national efforts are only as effective as the local leadership that implements them,” said Robert Bailey, team leader for National HIV Prevention Partnerships with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
AID Atlanta, the largest AIDS service organizations in the state of Georgia, and one of the largest in the country, joined Mayor Reed in sharing with residents the myriad of HIV/AIDS services available to them in Atlanta.
“AID Atlanta is really excited to be a partner with the Mayor’s efforts to promote HIV testing,” said Neena Smith-Bankhead, Director of Education and Volunteer Services with AID Atlanta. “We encourage everyone, no matter your race, age or gender to get tested at one of the numerous HIV testing events taking place this weekend in Atlanta. Go to www.aidatlanta.org to find out where AID Atlanta will conduct testing.”
Two Atlantans living with HIV, Stephanie Laster, who works with AID Atlanta, and Kelvin Barlow, a 26-year-old who was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 17, spoke about their personal experience with the disease. Kelvin gave candid and heartfelt remarks speaking directly to the several dozen teens sitting in the audience from the Mayor’s Summer Youth Program. Kelvin urged the teens to “take a stand, and know your status.”
Mayor Reed and the City of Atlanta, in conjunction with the National AIDS Education and Services for Minorities (NAESM), run by CEO Rudy Carn, administered confidential and anonymous on-site testing for the community. Mayor Reed and members of his staff were among many of the individuals who took the first step in fighting the battle against the spread of HIV/AIDS by getting tested. The testing and counseling were held in private rooms in City Hall using OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV -1/2 Antibody Test. Counselors were on-site to provide results within 20 minutes of testing.
Mayor Reed and the City of Atlanta’s “National HIV Testing Day” event shed light on the importance of getting tested and continuing Atlanta’s leadership in the fight against the epidemic. Detection is the first step to prevention, and Mayor Reed and the City of Atlanta, along with all of its partners are committed to spreading HIV awareness to the people of the community.
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