Take the Test, Take Control!
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Department of Health & Mental Hygiene News Release
BALTIMORE, MD (September 23, 2011) – On September 27, 2011 the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), Infectious Disease and Environmental Health Administration (IDEHA) will observe National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD). The observance was initiated in 2008 by the National Association for People with AIDS (NAPWA) and is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to CDC, more than one million people are living with HIV in the United States. In Maryland, over 29,000 people are living with HIV as of December 31, 2009. Of the newly diagnosed people with HIV in 2009, 45% were men who indicated that their HIV transmission was through having sex with men.
“Getting tested for HIV at least annually is critically important for gay men and other men who have sex with men in Maryland,” said Heather Hauck, Director, IDEHA. “There is an urgent need for culturally appropriate education and routine HIV testing and counseling for this disproportionately impacted community.”
Marylanders are reminded to Get Educated, Get Tested, Get Treated and get involved with HIV/AIDS activities. For further information on HIV testing and care services, contact IDEHA at 410-767-5252 or visit http://ideha.dhmh.maryland.gov/CHP. For data and information about the HIV epidemic in Maryland, please visit the IDEHA website at: http://ideha.dhmh.maryland.gov/chse.