DEERFIELD, Ill. & MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In the lead up to National HIV Testing Day on June 27, Walgreens and Greater Than AIDS, a leading national public information response to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic, are teaming with more than 180 health departments and local AIDS service organizations (ASOs) in 150 cities across the country to offer free HIV testing. National organizations including NAACP and Black AIDS Institute will support the events by encouraging community members to know their HIV status and take advantage of free HIV testing.
State and local health departments and ASOs will provide trained counselors to conduct the testing and will provide results on-site within minutes. Free tests, including those donated by Alere North America, BioLytical Laboratories and The D.I.V.A. Foundation, will be available at the testing sites located at select Walgreens in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, St. Louis and San Francisco, among other cities during a three-day period:
- Thursday, June 25 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Friday, June 26 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, June 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that all Americans be screened for HIV as a routine part of medical care1, many Americans have never been tested or are not being tested as often as recommended, according to national surveys by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Of the more than 1.2 million people living with HIV in the U.S., an estimated one in seven do not know that they are infected and only three in 10 are in ongoing care and treatment.2
“Walgreens is committed to being a part of the solution to end AIDS, and National HIV Testing Day provides a great opportunity to help share critical health information and encourage HIV testing,” said Glen Pietrandoni, senior director of virology, specialty products and services at Walgreens. “Working in collaboration with Greater Than AIDS and various community partners during the past four years, we have helped nearly 20,000 people access free testing. We are pleased to be able to continue to help make it easier for those in the communities that we serve to know their status.”
“We have come so far in our understanding of HIV,” said Tina Hoff, senior vice president and director of health communication and media partnerships at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Today, there are very effective treatments that not only help people with HIV to enjoy long, healthy lives but also significantly reduce the chances of passing the virus to others.3 Knowing one’s status is a crucial first step.”
I Got Tested: What’s Next?, a new 8-page informational guide from Greater Than AIDS and Walgreens will be distributed at the testing events in June. For a complete list of participating Walgreens locations and supporting partners, as well as more information about HIV testing, visit www.greaterthan.org/walgreens.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), the nation's largest drugstore chain, constitutes the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 8 million customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities across America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates 8,232 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens digital business includes Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com, SkinStore.com and VisionDirect.com. Walgreens also manages more than 400 Healthcare Clinic and provider practice locations around the country.
About Greater Than AIDS
Greater Than AIDS is a leading national public information response focused on the U.S. domestic epidemic. Launched in 2009 by the Kaiser Family Foundation together with the Black AIDS Institute, it is supported today by a broad coalition of public and private sector partners, including: major media and other business leaders; Federal, state and local health agencies and departments; national leadership groups; AIDS service and other community organizations; and foundations, among others. Through targeted media messages and community outreach, Greater Than AIDS works to increase knowledge, reduce stigma and promote actions to stem the spread of the disease. While national in scope, Greater Than AIDS focuses on communities most affected.
1 Branson BM, Handsfield HH, Lampe MA, et al. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Revised recommendations for HIV testing of adults, adolescents, and pregnant women in health-care settings. MMWR. 2006;55(RR14):1-17.
2 CDC. HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report, Vol. 19, No. 3; November 2014. Data are estimates and do not include U.S. dependent areas.
3 Cohen MS, Chen YQ, McCauley M, et al. Prevention of HIV-1 infection with early antiretroviral therapy. N Engl J Med. 2011;365(6):493-505.
