BETHLEHEM, Pa., June 25, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OraSure Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:OSUR) and the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) announced today the launch of the sixth annual Mayors Campaign Against HIV™, a national campaign to encourage testing for HIV and promote the benefits of knowing one's HIV status. The Campaign is part of the annual observance of National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) on Sunday, June 27, 2010.
NAPWA and OraSure Technologies have collaborated with city public health departments and community-based organizations across the country to elicit mayoral support to urge HIV testing and prevention among their constituencies. To date, more than 100 Mayors in cities nationwide have committed their participation and support, including New York, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Detroit, Dallas, and San Diego. Several Mayors have also committed to getting tested on June 27th while others are issuing proclamations or holding press conferences to encourage individuals to get screened for HIV.
Now in its 16th year, National HIV Testing Day is an annual event led by NAPWA to encourage the millions of Americans who are at-risk for HIV to receive voluntary HIV counseling and testing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.1 million individuals in the United States are infected with HIV, yet approximately one-quarter do not know they have the disease.
"Each year, National HIV Testing Day brings together thousands of local health departments, community organizations and HIV/AIDS advocacy groups nationwide to encourage early diagnosis and routine testing for HIV/AIDS, and the Mayors Campaign Against HIV™ helps to further support this mission," said Frank Oldham, Jr., NAPWA's Executive Director. "Education remains one of the most powerful tools in the fight against HIV/AIDS. By working in partnership with OraSure and mayors around the country, we hope to educate thousands nationwide on the need for HIV testing and prevention. We are thankful for the dedication and support of both OraSure and each mayoral office participating in the campaign."
"We are very pleased to be joining forces with NAPWA and the participating mayors again this year as we publicly unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS through our Mayors Campaign Against HIV™," said Douglas A. Michels, President and Chief Executive Officer of OraSure Technologies. "We are extremely proud that our technology is a driving force in getting more people tested and enabling HIV-positive individuals to learn their status earlier so they can access care sooner. We are committed to working in partnership with national, state and local health agencies to make the OraQuick ADVANCE® test available to all who need it."
About the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA-US)
The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA-US) is the oldest national AIDS organization in the United States and the oldest National network of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Founded in 1983, NAPWA is a non-profit membership organization that advocates on behalf of all people living with HIV and AIDS in order to end the pandemic and the human suffering it causes. NAPWA has several initiatives designed to promote access to and the utilization of HIV prevention and treatment and reduce stigma towards HIV-positive people. Over one million Americans are living with HIV and more than 40 million people around the world are infected. We will be here until there is a cure. More information on NAPWA and National HIV Testing Day can be found at http://www.napwa.org.
About OraSure Technologies
OraSure Technologies develops, manufactures and markets oral fluid specimen collection devices using proprietary oral fluid technologies, diagnostic products including immunoassays and other in vitro diagnostic tests, and other medical devices. These products are sold in the United States as well as internationally to various clinical laboratories, hospitals, clinics, community-based organizations and other public health organizations, distributors, government agencies, physicians' offices, and commercial and industrial entities.
OraSure Technologies is the leading supplier of oral-fluid testing solutions for drugs of abuse and for the detection of antibodies to HIV. For more information on the Company, please go to www.orasure.com.
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