The HIV Test-A-Thon

Abstract

The benefits of HIV testing and early intervention for those who test positive continue to be documented.1 In June 1992, Chase-Brexton Clinic (CBC) in Baltimore and The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB) cosponsored an "HIV Test-A-Thon" to provide anonymous HIV tests without appointment. The goals of this event were (1) to increase the number of people tested; (2) to increase awareness of HIV in the general population; and (3) to attempt to reach populations that might not be tested through the usual routes. Each of these goals was achieved, with 116 people tested in one day, extensive media coverage of the event, and statistical differences in the populations tested in the areas of race, gender, and those tested for the first time.