The National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS Supports the Launch of the OraQuick® In-Home HIV Test
NBLCA Applauds Magic Johnson and OraSure Technologies for Launch of Awareness Campaign on the Importance of Knowing Your HIV Status
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc. (NBLCA) applauds the launch of the OraQuick® In-Home HIV Test, the first and only rapid over the counter HIV test approved in the U.S.
"HIV/AIDS continues to be one of the greatest health crises facing African Americans today," said C. Virginia Fields, President and CEO of the NBLCA. "The new OraQuick® In-Home HIV Test is an important new tool that will help increase the number of people who learn their HIV status. We are proud to join OraSure Technologies, Magic Johnson, and others who are speaking out about the significance of this new testing option and the importance of knowing your HIV status."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. that have HIV and approximately 240,000 of them are unaware of their status. Those who do not know they are HIV positive are disproportionately responsible for the 50,000 new HIV infections that occur each year. Additionally, according to the CDC, despite African Americans representing only 14 percent of the US population, they account for approximately 44 percent of all new HIV infections.
The OraQuick® In-Home HIV Test can detect antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2 with an oral swab, providing a confidential in-home testing option with results in as little as 20 minutes. It is the first rapid diagnostic test for any infectious disease that has been approved by the FDA for sale over the counter. The OraQuick® In-Home HIV Test is available for purchase now at www.oraquick.com and will be available at more than 30,000 retail outlets throughout the country in October.
SOURCE The National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS
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