Advocacy groups
launch new California HIV testing campaign

California officials are partnering with several AIDS advocacy groups to launch a new statewide HIV testing campaign, Test for Life California. The California Medical Association, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and the Health Officers Association of California are sponsoring the initiative.

The campaign begins June 26 in preparation of National HIV Testing Day.

Nationally, Test for Life began in September 2006 with the release of the Centers for Disease Control recommendations promoting HIV testing as an integral part of routine medical care. The campaign hopes to educate the public about the necessity of HIV screening.

Test for Life is a project of the National Minority Quality Forum, a research and education organization devoted to ensuring that high-risk minorities receive adequate health care. (The Advocate)