Janssen Therapeutics Teams Up With Celebrity Designer David Bromstad to Encourage HIV Testing

TITUSVILLE, N.J., July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to elevate public awareness about the importance of HIV testing, Janssen Therapeutics, Division of Janssen Products LP, is teaming up with David Bromstad*, host of HGTV's Color Splash and winner of the first season of HGTV's Design Star, to announce the Know Yourself: Get HIV Tested initiative. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 1 million people are living with HIV infection in the U.S.  Alarmingly, 200,000 (one in five) of these people don't even know it.(1)

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Bromstad will draw upon his art and design skills in Know Yourself: Get HIV Tested to create a mural that can inspire people to take action and get tested. This initiative has a special focus on those who are at higher risk of HIV infection, including members of the gay community. According to the CDC, gay and bisexual men continue to be the community most severely affected by HIV in the U.S., and the only group in which new HIV infections are increasing.(2)  Among those who are infected in this community, nearly half (44 percent) are unaware of their HIV status.(2)

"Knowledge is one of the most powerful tools in fighting HIV, and you have to get tested to know your status," said Bromstad.  "I am especially passionate about HIV testing and education because it particularly affects the community of which I'm proud to belong. I want to raise awareness of the importance of testing by using something I know well and am also passionate about: art and design.  Join me by getting tested and encouraging others to do the same."

Bromstad, an accomplished artist and muralist and one of the most celebrated interior design personalities on television today, will be designing and painting a mural that will bring to life the importance of HIV testing and inspire members of the community to take action. The mural will be unveiled at an event in New York City in September, in recognition of Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

“The number of people living with HIV infection in the U.S. is higher than ever before, and HIV/AIDS continues to impact the lives of too many,”(1) said Vanessa Broadhurst, President, Janssen Therapeutics.  “We are thrilled that David Bromstad is working with us on this important initiative, which is a reflection of our company’s ongoing commitment to the fight against HIV.”

In addition to the Know Yourself: Get HIV Tested mural initiative, Bromstad previously participated in an educational video focused on HIV testing awareness along with healthcare providers specializing in HIV care, HIV-positive individuals and HIV educators.**  The video was sponsored by Janssen Therapeutics in partnership with the American College of Physicians (ACP) Foundation, and can be viewed on the ACP Foundation website at http://www.acpfoundation.org/videos.htm.  A short video highlight from “Simple HIV Facts Everyone Should Know” is posted on the Johnson & Johnson health channel on YouTube at http://youtu.be/o1Q5UyOSeQ4.  

"The number of people living with HIV infection in the U.S. is higher than ever before, and HIV/AIDS continues to impact the lives of too many,"(1) said Vanessa Broadhurst, President, Janssen Therapeutics.  "We are thrilled that David Bromstad is working with us on this important initiative, which is a reflection of our company's ongoing commitment to the fight against HIV."

For more information and to find an HIV testing site near you, visit http://www.hivtest.org/.

* Mr. Bromstad has been compensated by Janssen Therapeutics for his participation in Know Yourself: Get HIV Tested. **Mr. Bromstad and all other participants have been compensated by Janssen Therapeutics for their participation in the “Simple HIV Facts Everyone Should Know” video.

About Janssen Therapeutics

As a member of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, Janssen Therapeutics, Division of Janssen Products, LP, headquartered in Titusville, New Jersey, is dedicated to delivering innovative virology therapeutics that help healthcare professionals address serious unmet needs in people living with HIV and other infectious diseases. The company was formerly known as Tibotec Therapeutics, a division of Centocor Ortho Biotech Products LP, and recently changed its name as part of the global adoption of a common identity for all the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies.

(1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV in the United States: An Overview. CDC. July 2010. June 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/factsheets/pdf/us_overview.pdf

(2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Fact Sheet: HIV and AIDS among Gay and Bisexual Men. CDC. Sept. 2010. June 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/docs/FastFacts-MSM-FINAL508COMP.pdf.

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SOURCE Janssen Therapeutics, Division of Janssen Products, LP