FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Christine Rogers
(919) 256-9593
National HIV Testing Day – June 27th
Three North Carolina women share their stories about living with HIV
(Raleigh, NC) – Only about half of all North Carolina adults (18-64) say they've been tested for HIV. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 250,000 of the one million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States are unaware of their status. Every year, on June 27th, National HIV Testing Day, local organizations across the nation engage with communities to promote early diagnosis and HIV-testing. In an effort to further educate people about the importance of knowing their HIV status, the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation (NCHSF) has developed three webisodes featuring women who share their personal and powerful stories about the importance of getting tested and living with HIV.
Anita Powell was a mother of three teenage girls when she learned she was HIV positive. She got the news after she donated blood with some
co-workers. "I got the letter from Red Cross, that's when I found out and, trust me, my world crashed."
Tiffany Frazier was getting ready to go to college when a routine physical revealed she had HIV. "I was numb. I really didn't feel anything. I was in disbelief." Tiffany never made it to college. Soon after her diagnosis she developed full blown AIDS.
Vicky Hyman, a mother of three elementary school children received her HIV diagnosis after a routine checkup. "I didn't think I ever had to worry about that. I'm married, I don't have to use protection with my husband. I was wrong. My husband cheated on me and passed the infection along to me."
"National HIV Testing Day is a great time to remind people that HIV does not discriminate," says Christine Rogers, Communications Manager for the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation. "Unfortunately, many people are too scared to get tested or think that HIV could never happen to them. These women remind us that everyone who is sexually active should be tested since HIV can happen to anyone."
The webisodes provide important facts about what women should know about HIV/AIDS, the importance of getting tested and what questions women should ask their partners before becoming sexually active. The videos also provide valuable information about HIV and pregnancy. North Carolina law requires that women be tested for HIV early in pregnancy. A mother can refuse the test, but state law mandates once the baby is born the mother or the baby will be tested at delivery. Early detection and medication can help protect the baby. Dr. Elizabeth Livingston with the Duke Perinatal Center who is featured in the webisodes says, "We've been able to go from a transmission rate of 30-50% from mother to baby of HIV infection and drop it to less than 1% with medication."
The webisodes are a collaboration between the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation and the North Carolina Division of Public Health. The webisodes can be accessed by visiting the Foundation's web site. For more information on other North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation initiatives visit www.NCHealthyStart.org.
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The N.C. Healthy Start Foundation, a
nonprofit organization established in 1990, conducts
ongoing public education campaigns, advises state and
local policy makers, and provides technical assistance
and professional training focused on reducing infant
death and illness and improving the health of women
and young children in North Carolina.
