Pietrandoni

Glen Pietrandoni, Walgreens.

Retail pharmacy giant Walgreens, Deerfield, Ill, and Greater than AIDS, San Francisco, a national public information response to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic, are working with 220 health departments, AIDS service organizations, and other community organizations to provide free HIV testing and information at participating Walgreens stores in more than 180 cities on National HIV Testing Day, Wednesday, June 27, between 10:00 am and 7:00 pm (local time).

Walgreens and Greater than AIDS are helping participating testing partners to expand free HIV testing to more locations than in previous years, with a focus on heavily affected communities. Since 2011, National HIV Testing Day has resulted in the administration of more than 40,000 free HIV tests. Test kits for the day are being donated by BioLytical Laboratories, Richmond, BC, Canada, and OraSure Technologies, Bethlehem, Penn.

Walgreens-National HIV Testing Day

Walgreens stores in more than 180 cities will provide free HIV testing and information on National HIV Testing Day, Wednesday, June 27. Photo by Randall Taylor on behalf of Greater than AIDS.

Local agencies will be at participating Walgreens stores to provide free, confidential, and fast test results on site, without the need to schedule an appointment. Counselors will be on hand to answer questions about HIV prevention and treatment options, including preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a prevention strategy that offers an effective means of protection for those testing negative for HIV.

“Walgreens has supported people living with HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic more than 30 years ago,” says Glen Pietrandoni, senior director of patient care and advocacy at Walgreens. “Early testing can mean access to effective treatment and the opportunity to go on to live a healthy normal lifespan. In addition, with proper adherence to medication, successfully treated patients cannot easily transmit the virus to others. As we continue to work towards an end to HIV/AIDS, it is crucial that testing and trusted resources on treatment are made more widely available within communities.”

Walgreens-National HIV Testing Day

During National HIV Testing Day, counselors will be on hand at Walgreens stores to answer questions about HIV prevention and treatment options. Photo by Randall Taylor on behalf of Greater than AIDS.

Despite gains in treating HIV over the past two decades, new infections continue to be a challenge, particularly among younger generations, and in the LGBTQ and African-American communities. In 2016, those under age 35 accounted for 56% of new HIV diagnoses; and if current infection rate trends persist, 1 in 2 black men who have sex with men are projected to be diagnosed with HIV. All told, an estimated 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV, and approximately 1 in 7 are unaware of their status.1

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HIV testing as part of routine healthcare.

“There are more options than ever to prevent and treat HIV,” says Tina Hoff, senior vice president and director of health communications and media partnerships at the Kaiser Family Foundation, San Francisco, which leads Greater than AIDS. “The first step is knowing your status. This collaboration normalizes HIV testing as part of everyday life, while helping to educate about these advances.”

Hoff

Tina Hoff, Kaiser Family Foundation.

The community partnership is part of an ongoing commitment by Walgreens and Greater than AIDS to broaden the reach of HIV testing and information in nontraditional settings, and to support the outreach of local organizations. Year round, HIV-trained pharmacy staff are available at more than 1,000 Walgreens locations nationwide—including those in communities with high HIV prevalence—offering one-on-one, confidential medication counseling to support treatment adherence, and assisting with other care needs, such as identifying financial assistance options.

For a complete list of participating Walgreens locations and supporting partners for this year’s National HIV Testing Day, as well as additional information about HIV testing, including year-round testing sites, visit Greater than AIDS.

Reference

  1. HIV/AIDS Basic Statistics [online]. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017. Available at: www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/statistics.html. Accessed June 13, 2018.