Today is National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), an annual occasion to raise awareness about the importance of HIV testing; encourage people to know their HIV status; and connect to prevention, care, and treatment services.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1.2 million people in the United States have HIV. For people with undiagnosed HIV, testing is the first step in maintaining a healthy life and reducing the spread of HIV. The CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. People at higher risk should get tested more often. For more information, visit the HIVinfo National HIV Testing Day webpage.

This June 27, the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) is pleased to join federal agencies, community-based organizations, health advocates, and other partners to observe NHTD.

Read the latest Director’s Blog from Dr. Maureen M. Goodenow to learn more about NIH-supported research to develop and test new approaches to increase HIV testing.