HIV Testing Day campaign to get celebrity boost

In the run up to the National HIV Testing Day, which will be held on June 27, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Black AIDS Institute have joined forces with MTV to launch the Greater Than Aids: Get Yourself Tested Week campaign, which begins tomorrow.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of HIV and other STD testing - especially among young Americans - and will focus on 10 cities across the U.S. - including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and New York - where free testing will be available.

Frank Oldham, Jr., president and CEO of the National Association of People With AIDS, said that "we will never get the HIV epidemic under control until everyone understands that we are all in this together."

"Getting tested should be part of every American's routine healthcare, from adolescence through senior years, and no one should be stopped from getting tested by fear or shame," he added.

The campaign has enlisted the help of celebrities such as Ciara and Kelly Rowland to emphasize the importance of knowing one's status through a series of MTV public service ads.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 1 million Americans are living with HIV, although as many as one in five are not aware of this. Meanwhile, experts stress that early diagnosis and treatment can save lives, reduce the spread of HIV and reduce the social and economic burdens associated with this disease.