Director's Update

May - June 2012

Dr. Kevin Fenton
Director, NCHHSTP

With social media, we can share information around the clock through e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, texting, and other tools. Never before have we had the opportunity to dialog on every level at any moment in time. This opens new and innovative ways to connect and spread messages of disease prevention and health promotion broader, faster, and more often. I hope you will join me and others at CDC on Twitter (see the On the Web section) and help keep the conversation going.

But it is still important to be in touch on the ground. Most recently, we have been holding community engagement meetings across the country to identify ways to enhance HIV prevention efforts for MSM of color—the community most affected by HIV. While social media is an important tool for connectivity and communication, it only benefits our work when it strengthens relationships developed through thoughtful and often frank face-to-face discussions regarding issues and concerns.

Let’s use every channel available to advance evidence-based and proven high-impact prevention interventions and programs.

Hepatitis Testing Day and Risk Assessment

May 19, 2012, has been designated as the first ever national Hepatitis Testing Day. As called for in the HHS Action Plan on viral hepatitis, May 19 will be an annual opportunity to remind health care providers and the public just who should be tested for chronic viral hepatitis.

To highlight the importance of testing, CDC has developed an online Hepatitis Risk Assessment tool to provide individually tailored viral hepatitis testing and vaccination recommendations. The assessment allows users to answer questions privately, either in their home or a health care setting, and print their recommendations based on CDC’s guidelines to discuss with their doctor.

Please join CDC in promoting the first ever Hepatitis Testing Day by calling attention to viral hepatitis and urging those at risk to get tested.

Please visit the viral hepatitis homepage for more information on online hepatitis resources and Hepatitis Testing Day.

National HIV Testing Day

This year marks the 19th National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), organized annually by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) with support from CDC and AIDS.gov. NAPWA and other NHTD organizers reach out to groups at increased risk of HIV infection—especially gay and bisexual men of all races, and African-American and Latino persons. This year, we encourage communities to continue to improve access to HIV testing, and provide services such as linkages to medical care and behavior-change programs that have been shown to lower transmission risk to others. Health departments can lend support by creating programs and adopting policies to get those at high risk tested early and often and support those who have a positive test get care quickly. CDC and other U.S. Government agencies are working together to achieve the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and continue to provide funding to help protect the health of those at highest risk.

New from CDC

HIV, Other STD, and Pregnancy Prevention Ed in Public Secondary Schools

TB in Children in the United States

Act Against AIDS 2nd Year-End Report

Upcoming Events

On the Web

Center Twitter Accounts
@CDC_DrFenton
@CDC_HIV/AIDS
@talkHIV
@cdchep
@CDCSTD