Statement from Sharen I. Duke, Executive Director & CEO, The Alliance for Positive Change, on the 30th Anniversary of World AIDS Day on December 1, 2018:
”As we mark the 30th anniversary of World AIDS Day on December 1, 2018, we reflect on the lives of those we've lost to AIDS and encourage all New Yorkers to get tested. This year’s theme is ‘Know Your Status’ and we are working to break down barriers to testing — stigma, fear, and discrimination — so that everyone gets tested and connected with prevention or care. While 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV, 1 in 7 do not even know they have the virus. For those who test positive, early treatment is imperative to a healthy outcome. HIV is no longer the death sentence it was when we commemorated the first World AIDS Day 30 years ago, and we are working with New York State to end the epidemic here by 2020.
At Alliance for Positive Change, for the past 28 years, we have helped New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS get the care and support they need to feel better and create positive change for themselves and others. We are a community united in our fight to end HIV, and we stand in solidarity with the millions living with HIV worldwide.”
For information on free and confidential HIV testing in New York City, visit alliance.nyc/get-tested.