National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) was first observed on June 27, 1995. This is a day to encourage people to get tested for HIV, know their status, and get linked to care and treatment.
The theme for 2023, “Take the Test & Take the Next Step” emphasizes that knowing your HIV status helps you choose options to stay healthy. HIV testing, including self-testing, is the pathway to engaging people in care to keep them healthy, regardless of their test result. People who receive a negative test result can take advantage of HIV prevention tools such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), condoms, and other sexual health services such as vaccines and testing for sexually transmitted infections. People who receive a positive test result can rapidly start HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy, or ART) to stay healthy. To support this year’s theme, partners can add a tagline to customize as they like. For example:
- Take the Test & Take the Next Step: No matter how you test, no matter your test results, take the next step.
- Take the Test & Take the Next Step: Check your status and know. Take the steps to be good to go.
- Take the Test & Take the Next Step: Testing – critical to ending the HIV epidemic in the U.S.!
The National HIV/AIDS Strategy and the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. Initiative emphasize diagnosing individuals as soon as possible and ensuring the availability of multiple HIV testing modalities to best meet the needs of populations with increased risk of transmission due to a wide range of social, economic, and demographic factors (such as stigma, discrimination, etc.).
HIV testing is an act of self-care. According to the CDC, encouraging people to get tested and know their HIV status can help them stay healthy. Today, there are more free, easy, fast, and confidential HIV testing options available than ever before. Testing, including self-testing, is the first step to engaging in HIV prevention or treatment services. HIV testing is a critical tool to helping us end the HIV epidemic in the United States.
Watch this Taking the Test is Taking Care of You video to learn more about HIV testing and self-care.
Currently, CDC and many other organizations are distributing free HIV self-testing kits. You can find more information about HIV testing on our HIV Testing Overview page.