Miss Universe helps Apicha Community Health Center Encourage Global HIV Testing

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Miss Universe helps Apicha Community Health Center Encourage Global HIV Testing

Miss Universe, Catriona Gray, received a public HIV test at New York City’s Apicha Community Health Center (CHC) to encourage others to get tested and know their status. Ending the stigma associated with testing is critical to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic as an estimated 9.4 million of the 36.9 million people living with HIV worldwide do not know they are infected. In the United States around 1.1. million people have HIV, and one in seven of them do not know they have it. Gray was tested using an INSTI® HIV-1/HIV-2 Rapid Antibody Test that used a finger prick to collect the sample. As reigning Miss Universe, Gray has been a public advocate and supporter of HIV testing and linkage to care. Prior to undergoing the test, Gray vocalized her support for testing. “[HIV testing] is not a judgement, it’s just an act of looking after yourself. I don’t want people to live their life in fear and be defined by something like this.” At the event Apicha CHC’s Chief Executive officer, Therese Rodriguez, stressed the importance of the occasion, “We still must encourage individuals to get tested and know their status. We know that stigma and fear remain the biggest barriers that keep people from getting tested for HIV…Through uniting and working together as community, we can help change lives.”