DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walgreens and Greater Than AIDS, a leading national public information response to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic, are teaming up for the seventh straight year with health departments and local AIDS service organizations (ASOs) to offer free HIV testing and counseling about prevention strategies, including Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), as part of a National HIV Testing Day effort.
Testing will be available at more than 220 participating Walgreens stores in 130 cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans and Memphis, among other cities, on June 27 and 28 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (local time) both days. Results are provided on site by trained counselors. Alere North America, bioLytical Laboratories and OraSure have donated test kits for the activation.
“We know more about preventing and treating HIV than ever before,” said Tina Hoff, senior vice president and director, health communication and media partnerships, Kaiser Family Foundation, which directs Greater Than AIDS. “The first step is knowing your status. This collaboration normalizes HIV testing as part of everyday life, while educating communities about the latest advances.”
PrEP, a medication available by prescription, offers another effective means of protection for those without HIV. In addition, antiretrovirals, the medications used to treat HIV in addition to improving health, are now known to help stop the spread of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HIV testing as part of routine health care.
“With early diagnosis and treatment, someone with HIV can live a healthy normal lifespan,” said Glen Pietrandoni, senior director of virology at Walgreens. “It’s very important to take control of your health by getting a test and learning your status. Results are provided within minutes, on-site by trained counselors.”
For a complete list of participating Walgreens locations and supporting partners, as well as additional information about HIV testing, including year-round testing sites, visit www.greaterthan.org/walgreens.
At all participating Walgreens locations, testing partners will provide informational guides about the benefits of early treatment and PrEP. More than 150,000 copies of the Walgreens and Greater Than AIDS-produced ‘I Got Tested: What’s Next’ guides, which are available in both English and Spanish, have been distributed since 2015. More information about PrEP is available at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/prep.html.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), one of the nation's largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 10 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 8,175 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with its omnichannel business, Walgreens.com. Approximately 400 Walgreens stores offer Healthcare Clinic or other provider retail clinic services.
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.
About Kaiser Family Foundation
The Kaiser Family Foundation, a leader in health policy analysis, health journalism and communication, is dedicated to filling the need for trusted, independent information on the major health issues facing our nation and its people. The Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation based in Menlo Park, California.
