Philly Teens Help Raise Awareness at National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

This past Saturday, the College of Physicians hosted a day of events devoted to National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2017 (NBHAAD), and students from the Teva Pharmaceuticals Internship and Out4STEM Programs were there to provide a helping hand.

The students offered outreach to visitors and helped register people for HIV testing (provided by Bebashi Transition to Hope, Prevention Point Philadelphia, The COLOURS Organization, and Q-Spot). Gloria Harley, an intern in both the Teva and Out4STEM Programs, joined ten other artists from The New Wave in a performance attended by over thirty Philadelphia teens.

Also attending the event were Dr. Loren Robinson, Deputy Secretary for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes who delivered speeches on HIV Prevention and a demonstration on condom use.

Overall it was a great day of HIV Awareness and artistic expression thanks to our distinguished guests and our dedicated interns! Most important, 85 people received HIV/AIDS testing (and earned free admission to the Mütter Museum in the process).

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day at the Mütter: February 11, 2017

Did you know that the rate of HIV infection among African Americans is eight times that among whites, or that gay and bisexual men make up the majority of new infections among African Americans? February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), a day for spreading awareness of the impact HIV plays in the African American community. The goal is to encourage more people to get tested and dispel the social stigmas surrounding the disease.

This Saturday, February 11, 2017, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia will be observing NBHAAD with a day-long event. We will be offering FREE HIV testing courtesy of Bebashi Transition to Hope and Q-Spot. Never taken an HIV test? Fear not, as the test is painless, takes only a minute (literally 60 seconds) and entitles you to FREE admission to the Mütter Museum. There will be live performances and information about HIV/AIDS to help expand your understanding of the impact of the impact of the disease. 51% of HIV-positive people don’t know they have it; help us spread the word about the disease and take a trip to the Museum! The event will take place from 10 AM to 4 PM.

CEPI Youth Help People Get Tested at World AIDS Day 2016

On December 3, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia observed World AIDS Day 2016 with a day-long event to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, dispel the stigma and misconceptions associated with the disease, and encourage people to get tested. Visitors to the Mütter Museum received free admission in exchange for an HIV test (they involve a simple blood sample and test results are known in 60 seconds, a small price to pay for a day at the Museum and certainty over one’s status). It was a large undertaking; fortunately we had on hand a dedicated group of CEPI youth to help out.

Representing the Karabots Junior Fellows Program, the Teva Pharmaceuticals Internship Program, and the Out4STEM Program, our intrepid volunteers were instrumental in logistics, education, and promotion. They directed visitors who came to get tested to make sure the process was as quick and easy as possible. They encouraged people to pose with images of HIV/AIDS-related facts and share them on social media. They also helped educate the public with small health-related lessons, including a lesson on bone pathology using models of human skulls. Overall they helped make for a successful event wherein we tested eighty-five people!

 

World AIDS Day at the Mütter Museum: December 3, 2016

Did you know more than 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV? Did you know that 1 in 8 people living with HIV are not aware they have it? December 1 is World AIDS Day, a day devoted to spreading awareness of HIV/AIDS, offering support to the millions living with the disease, and remembering those who have died from it.

On Saturday, December 3, 2016, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia will be commemorating World AIDS Day with a day-long event to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, enumerate the facts and myths related to the disease, and encourage everyone to get tested. The College of Physicians of Philadelphia will be offering 60 second tests to any member of the public 13 years or older (testing is provided by Bebashi) with free admission to the Mütter Museum to whomever gets tested. The event will take place from 10 AM-5 PM.

CPP Observes National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

This Sunday, February 7, 2016, marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day devoted to raising awareness among the African American community of the impact of HIV and AIDS. The goal is to encourage people to take action through public education, community involvement, testing, and treatment.

In the spirit of the day and our mission to promote public health, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia will be hosting a full day of activities and programs aimed at educating the public about the impact of HIV/AIDS in the African American community and encouraging visitors to the Mütter Museum to get tested. Free AIDS and STD screening will take place at the College all day (provided by Prevention Point Philadelphia, Action AIDS, and Q-Spot), and free admission to the Mütter Museum will be offered to anyone who gets tested. The event will take place from 10 AM to 4 PM.

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia will also be hosting several relevant programs and demonstrations throughout the day. At 1 PM, there will be a formal presentation honoring College of Physicians Fellow Nathan Mossell, whose portrait was recently added to the gallery. At 3 PM Keturah Caesar along with Philadelphia teens will be presenting a performance called “The Situation.” The site will also be holding a day-long exhibition of four panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, a massive quilt devoted to remembering victims of the disease.

For more information about our National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day programming, please consult the Mütter Museum’s page.

The College of Physicians Commemorates World AIDS Day 2015

 

Last year, 624 Philadelphia residents were diagnosed with HIV, and the majority of people who currently have HIV are not aware they carry the disease.

December 1, 2015, was World AIDS Day, a day devoted to raising HIV/AIDS awareness. The College of Physicians hosted a day-long event to promote treatment and care, make the public aware of the history of the disease, provide remembrance for victims, and to encourage people to get tested.  To that end, the College offered free on-site HIV, Hepatitus-C, and STD testing, with free admission to the Mütter Museum for any visitor who took part. Several local related organizations were on hand to promote awareness. The site also displayed sections of the AIDS memorial quilt, memorializing the victims of HIV and AIDS, as well as “1981-Until It’s Over,” a visual timeline of the AIDS epidemic developed by the AIDS Fund.”  The event concluded with a performance by poet Gweny Love, accompanied by local teens.