June 27 is National HIV Testing Day. The HIV and AIDS epidemic continues to extract a heavy toll in the United States, with 1.1 million Americans living with the disease. Every 9 ½ minutes, someone in the United States is infected with HIV, and 21% of those who are infected do not know their status. Hairdressers Against AIDS encourages people to talk about this epidemic with HIV prevention education and testing.
Hairdressers Against AIDS is a global advocacy program, developed by the L'Oreal Foundation that aims to empower the hair and beauty industry to use their unique relationships with clients to become resources in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
To accomplish this goal, the campaign advocates participation in HIV/AIDS awareness events, brings HIV/AIDS awareness to beauty industry events and provides innumerable HIV prevention resources to the 500,000 hairdressers (and their respective salons) in the L'Oréal's Professional Products Division network and other participating salons, and online sites, web tools, and resources.
"It will be said in the history books that hairdressers' involvement in HIV/AIDS education was a defining part of ending this pandemic and making a world where people can live free of fear or stigma around HIV and AIDS," said state senator Tom Duane (D-NY). Duane is the only openly HIV-positive congressman.
For more information and to find a testing facility near you, please visit www.hairdressersagainstaids.com.
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