June 21, 2006 National HIV Testing Day to be held June 27Testing available at sites throughout Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, Jun 21, 2006 - National HIV Testing Day, a day dedicated to encouraging people to find out their HIV status and helping those who are positive access treatment and reduce their risk of transmitting the virus to others, is being held on June 27.  The National Association of People With AIDS organizes the day, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national and local entities across the country.

In Louisiana, the Department of Health – Office of Public Health’s HIV/AIDS Program and its partners from around the state will work toward promoting the benefits of getting tested early and decreasing the barriers to testing among communities at risk.

Approximately 5,000 Louisiana residents are living with HIV but are unaware of it.  Louisiana ranks fifth highest in the nation in AIDS case rates, with 15,068 people living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2005.  In 2004, Baton Rouge ranked third out of 104 metropolitan areas in AIDS case rates; New Orleans ranked sixth.

Test sites throughout the state will be offering expanded testing hours. A list of activities in each region of the state is listed on the following pages. Testing is at no-cost and open to everyone.

For more information about National HIV Testing Day, contact the Louisiana Statewide HIV/AIDS hotline at 1-800-99AIDS9 or 1-800-992-4379.

All events are on Tuesday, June 27 unless otherwise noted

Region 1 – New Orleans

Drop-In Center

Peer Outreach workers will accompany staff on an early afternoon distribution of materials, information and referrals for HIV testing sites.  The Drop-In Center will also offer counseling and testing at the Covenant House site.

 *For more information contact Rachel Witwer at 504-948-6701

NO/AIDS Task Force

Activities - The NO/AIDS Task Force will commemorate HIV Testing Day with a series of public events from June 17 - July 1.

Testing Dates and Sites:

Sunday, June 25

Testing in Mobile Unit

Pride Fest at Washington Square Park

New Orleans, LA

Time to be announced

Monday, June 26

Testing in Mobile Unit

Audubon Park

New Orleans, LA

Time to be announced

Tuesday, June 27

Community Awareness Network Office

507 Frenchman St.

New Orleans,  LA  70116

12 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Wednesday, June 28

NO/AIDS Task Force

2601 Tulane Ave. 5th Floor

New Orleans,  LA  70119

3 p.m. - 7 p.m.

 Thursday, June 29

Community Awareness Network Office

507 Frenchman St.

New Orleans,  LA  70116

4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, June 30

NO/AIDS Task Force

2601 Tulane Ave. 5th FL

New Orleans,  LA  70119

1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Saturday, July 1

Community Awareness Network Office,

507 Frenchman St.

New Orleans,  LA  70116

1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

* For more information contact Darrin L. Harris at 504-945-4000

St. John/Camp ACE

Activities- No-cost HIV Testing

Tuesday, June 27

St. John/Camp ACE

3635 Hamburg St.

New Orleans, LA  70122

12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

* For more information contact Tamachia Davenport at 504-610-8471

N’R PEACE

Activities- N’R PEACE will offer no-cost HIV testing and syphilis screening.  Refreshments will be served.

Testing Dates and Sites:

Tuesday, June 27

N’R PEACE

3201 General DeGaulle Dr., Suite 201

New Orleans, LA  70114

Wednesday, June 28

Common Ground Clinic

1401 Teche St.

New Orleans, LA  70114

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Thursday, June 29

Xavier University Student Nursing Center

4910 Drexel Ave.

New Orleans, LA  70125

1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

* For more information contact Alicia Davis or Gail Colin at 504-365-7260

Region 2 – Baton Rouge

Activities – “Empower Yourself, Take the Test” -  The Region 2 Community Planning Group will be offering HIV and syphilis testing in the Sherwood Meadows area of Baton Rouge.

* For more information contact Chantell Payne at 225-338-9333

Region 3 – Houma/Thibodaux 

N’R PEACE

Activities – Outreach and HIV Testing

Tuesday, June 27

Bunkhouse Shelter, Inc

8424 Main St.

Houma, LA 70363

Time to be announced

* For more information contact Onita Triplett at 985-223-2920

Region 4 – Lafayette

Acadiana Cares

Activities –  Acadiana CARES will provide rapid testing and education and have an information table at Soundfactory for “Karaoke with CARES.”

 Testing Dates and Sites:

Monday, June 26

The Family Tree

4540 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy. C-100

Lafayette, LA 70508

3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Monday, June 27

New Iberia Addictive Disorders Clinic

611 Admiral Doyle Dr.

New Iberia, LA  70560

8 a.m. –10 a.m.

Acadiana CARES

203 W. Third St.

Lafayette, LA 70502

12 p.m. – 3 p.m.

“Karaoke with CARES”

Soundfactory

Jefferson Street (Downtown Lafayette)

Lafayette, LA 70502

10:30 p.m.

*For more information contact Andre' Mitchell at 337-233-2437

Region 5 – Lake Charles

Southwest Louisiana AIDS Council

Activities- Education and HIV Testing Event - SLAC will host a cook out in their office and offer counseling and testing all day.

Testing Dates and Sites:

Friday, June 23

Crystal’s Night Club

112 W. Broad St.

Lake Charles, LA 70601

10 p.m. – 2 a.m.

 Tuesday, June 27

SLAC

1715 Common St

Lake Charles, LA 70601

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

*For more information contact Mary McNeal at 337-439-5145

Region 6 – Alexandria

Central Louisiana AIDS Support Services (CLASS)

Activities – Education, awareness and testing

Tuesday, June 27

Central Louisiana AIDS Support Services (CLASS)

904 13th St.

Alexandria, LA

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

 *For more information contact Eddie O’Conner at 318-442-1010

Region 7 – Shreveport

Philadelphia Center

Activities – “Know Your Status”- Rap music contest with no-cost HIV testing, education and awareness

Tuesday, June 27

Bilberry Park

1902 Alabama St.

Shreveport, LA  71103

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

 *For more information contact Sylvia Green-McIntyre at 318-222-6633 x 14

 Region 8 – Monroe
Activities – Public Awareness Testing and Education. All of Northeast Louisiana except Monroe has been designated as having an underserved population.  In an effort to increase awareness of HIV risks and the importance of being tested, GO CARE takes the test to the community, making testing available to the residents where they live.                      

Testing Dates and Sites:

Wednesday, June 21

U-Pak-It

4060 Front St.

Winnsboro, LA.  71295

3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Thursday, June 22

YO! Center

1320 Sparrow St.

Lake Providence, LA  71254

10:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.

YO! Center

1012 North Beech St.

Tallulah, LA  71282

12:30 p.m. -1:30 p.m.

Friday,  June 23

A-1 Grocery Mart

308 Colman St.

West Monroe, LA 71202

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Traina’s Grocery

1441 Leon Drive

Jonesboro, LA 71251

12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

*For more information contact GO CARE at 318-325-1092

Region 9 – Florida Parishes

South East Area Health Education Center (SEAHEC)

Activities – Education, Awareness and Testing

 
Tuesday, June 27

Reginald’s Barbershop

            145 Rangeline Rd.

            Hammond La 70401

Time: 10 am-2 pm

Pine Creek Apartments

Martin Luther King Dr.

Hammond La 70401

Time: 5pm – 7pm

*For more information contact Robert West@ 985-634-2426