For Immediate
Release
June 20, 2008
WHITMAN-WALKER CLINIC TO OBSERVE NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY JUNE 27
WASHINGTON - Whitman-Walker Clinic will mark the 14th annual National HIV Testing Day June 27 with expanded free HIV testing.
“National HIV Testing Day is an opportunity to remind the Washington, DC, area community how important it is to not wait to get tested,” said Dr. Raymond Martins, chief medical officer of Whitman-Walker Clinic. “In DC, those diagnosed with HIV progress to full AIDS at nearly twice the national rate. Far too many people are finding out they have been infected with HIV when they get sick, often years after they were infected. This ‘late testing’ can not only make treatments more difficult, it can result in people unknowingly infecting others for years. That is why it is so important that everyone get tested regularly and know their status.”
Whitman-Walker will offer expanded hours for free HIV testing at all of its sites as follows:
- Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, 1701 14th St., NW
8:00 am- 6:00 pm
- Max Robinson Center, 2301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., SE
8:00 am- 6:00 pm
- Whitman-Walker Clinic of Northern Virginia, 5232 Lee Highway, Arlington
8:00 am- 6:00 pm
In addition, Whitman-Walker Clinic’s mobile testing units will be in three locations on June 27:
- Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center from 12:00-6:00 pm.
- Max Robinson Center from 12:00-4:00 pm.
- Iverson Mall parking lot, Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, from 5:00-8:00 pm.
- Town dance club, 2009 8th St., NW, from 10:00 pm-1:00 am.
“Our mobile units take HIV testing directly to communities at high risk,” said Bruce Weiss, director of community health for Whitman-Walker. “People who want to get tested can do so at a location and time that is more convenient for them. They will receive the same treatment as anyone who walks into one of our facilities for HIV testing: pre- and post-test counseling, resources to prevent HIV infection, and access to services at Whitman-Walker Clinic if needed.”
“Pre- and post-test counseling includes education about how to prevent infection with HIV,” said Weiss. “That is a prime opportunity, regardless of the outcome of the test, to reach people who may be at high risk for HIV infection with the information and the tools they need to stop the spread of HIV. We hope that they will use that information to not only protect themselves but to educate their family and friends on how to prevent infection.”
Whitman-Walker Clinic uses a rapid oral test, which delivers results in 20 minutes.
Established in 1973, Whitman-Walker Clinic is a non-profit, community-based provider of health care and social services in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Through three sites, in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia, the Clinic offers primary medical and dental care; mental health and addictions counseling and treatment; HIV education, prevention, and testing; legal services; medical adherence case management; and a food bank. Whitman-Walker Clinic is committed to meeting the health needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community and people living with HIV/AIDS.
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