Press Releases
Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson to Host Free HIV Testing Event in Observance of National Black HIV Awareness Day
Miami, FL,
February 6, 2018
MIAMI – In observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson will partner with the Miami-Dade County Florida Department of Health to offer HIV testing on Wednesday, February 7. "We have to end the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS so that we can end the spread and it starts with taking the test," said Congresswoman Wilson. "We cannot continue to ignore the problem and think that it will go away. HIV/AIDS robs our communities of talent and productivity. The best way to fight the spread of the disease is to get tested, know your status, and get the treatment you need if you are HIV positive." Established in 1999, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) is a national HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative that targets blacks in the United States and the Diaspora. According to the CDC, one in eight people living with HIV in the United States is unaware that they have the disease. Miami-Dade and Broward counties were numbers one and two in the U.S. in new HIV infections in 2014 per 100,000 residents, according to state and federal data. Congresswoman Wilson sponsored several bills to boost HIV/AIDS education and awareness throughout her career in public service. This year marks the 16th anniversary of a bill she sponsored in the Florida legislature to mandate HIV testing for prisoners upon their release from Florida prisons. The purpose of the bill was to confirm prisoners' HIV status as they re-enter society and connect them to care if they were HIV positive. Free confidential HIV testing will be provided at the following locations and times:
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