Hollywood Popular Artists

Jun 19th 2013, 14:38

Next Thursday is National HIV Testing Day, and Alicia Keys, who is already fighting HIV/AIDS with the Empowered campaign, has announced on Twitter that she's going to be joining countless other people and getting tested.

Ms. Keys Tweeted:

I'm planning 2 get tested 4 National HIV Testing Day! Join me here: http://t.co/P6UwHNUuP2 Together we are #EMPOWERED in this fight!!!

— Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys) June 18, 2013

HIV/AIDS activists like Alicia are working to take away the stigma associated with having HIV or AIDS, and sometimes that stigma is what keeps people from getting tested. People might also be nervous about getting tested, or they might not be aware they have the virus because no symptoms have shown up. However, there are about 1.1 million Americans who have HIV, and about one-fifth of them don't realize it because they haven't been tested.

Getting tested can protect potential partners, but it's also important to you and your health. Please don't be scared about getting tested: These days you can live a long, healthy life with HIV, and the sooner you detect it, the better. Alicia wants you to feel EMPOWERED by knowing your status, not scared of it.

Alicia's link includes a banner message ("June 27 is National HIV Testing Day. I pledge to get tested, RT if you will too! Join Alicia Keys & be #EMPOWERED!") that you can share on Facebook or Twitter. She also invites you to learn more about her Empowered campaign and get the deets on testing locations near you. Alicia knows that there's no shame in getting tested, because knowing your status can only help you in the long run.

Media files:
AliciaKeys-Post.jpg (image/jpeg)
Keys-Post.jpg (image/jpeg)
AliciaKeys-Feature-70x53.jpg (image/jpeg)