Bronx Campaign Boosts HIV Testing; Fauci Issues Statement Regarding National Testing Day

A three-year initiative launched last year by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to test every adult in the Bronx for HIV has boosted testing by 28 percent, according to city health officials, the New York Times' blog "City Room" reports. The "Bronx Knows" campaign began with an effort to make voluntary HIV testing routine in emergency departments and clinics, where city officials said, "cumbersome consent procedures required by state law have deterred doctors from offering the tests," according to "City Room" (Chan, "City Room," New York Times, 6/24). The initiative – which involves clinics, hospitals and community organizations – tested nearly 160,000 Bronx residents in the past 12 months (United Press International, 6/24). The city also is participating in National HIV Testing Day on Saturday ("City Room," New York Times, 6/24).