NAT and Gaydar to encourage HIV testing at WorldPride in London
NAT, the National AIDS Trust, will be teaming up with Gaydar.co.uk for World Pride on Saturday 7 July with the message ‘Take Pride, Get Tested’.
NAT and Gaydar will celebrate equality and diversity whilst encouraging the gay community to be proactive in looking after themselves and their health by getting tested regularly for HIV.
The gay community continues to be most affected by HIV in the UK and the number of new diagnoses is continuing to rise.
One in 20 gay men in the UK is living with HIV and this figure rises to one in 10 in London, and just over a quarter of gay men living with HIV do not know they have it.
Testing for gay men at least once is a year so treatment and support can be delivered in good time, giving the best chance of staying healthy. Treatment also reduces the chances of passing HIV on.
Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT said: “Pride is always a fantastic day with a huge buzz and we couldn’t be happier to be teaming up with Gaydar. Gaydar have long been supporters of NAT and our work so it will be great to be out their together in the parade, showing our support for people living with HIV, raising awareness and encouraging people to get tested.”
Simon Johnson, Product Manager at Gaydar.co.uk said: “World Pride sets the stage for incredibly important messages to be broadcast around the world. Regular HIV testing should be high on every gay man’s agenda and we hope holding hands with NAT as we parade around London sends that message out loud and clear…Testing saves lives, fact.”
NAT and Gaydar encouraged anyone looking to be involved in the Pride festivities to contact them via [email protected].
