June 27: National HIV Testing Day

by Patch Staff

Today is National HIV Testing Day, where people are encouraged to get tested for the Human immunodeficiency virus, which causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS.

Several public and private groups are offering screenings (some free of charge) for those who wish to be tested. To find out where the nearest screenings are being held near you, you may go to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National HIV and STD Testing Resources landing page to plug in your Zip code to find resources nearest to you.

Here are the latest HIV and AIDS-related statistics in the United States, according to the CDC:

• 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection — 1 in 5 are unaware of their infection.
• Men who have sex with other men, particularly young, black men, are most severely affected by HIV.
• By race and ethic group, blacks and black Americans face the most severe burden of HIV.
• Despite increases in the total number of people in the U.S. living with HIV infection in recent years (due to better testing and treatment options), the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable.
• New infections continue at far too high of a level, with approximately 50,000 Americans becoming infected with HIV each year.
• In 2010, an estimated 47,129 were diagnosed with HIV infection in the 46 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting since at least January 2007. In that same year, an estimated 33,015 people throughout the U.S. were diagnosed with AIDS.
• Since the epidemic began, an estimated 1,129,127 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with AIDS.
• An estimated 17,774 people with AIDS died in 2009, and nearly 619,400 people with AIDS in the U.S. have died since the epidemic began.