NBA Cares To Promote HIV Testing

HIV Testing

Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah joined together with NBA Cares to promote HIV testing in the U.S. and abroad in new, groundbreaking television and radio public service ads (PSAs).

The unique campaign has been developed by the National Basketball Association (NBA), HBO, the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC), and the Kaiser Family Foundation, and will have its network premiere in the U.S. during Game 5 of The Finals 2007 on ABC.

With the release timed to lead up to National HIV Testing Day (June 27), the PSAs aim to raise awareness about the importance of HIV testing and direct U.S. viewers to www.testing411.org, a comprehensive online resource developed especially for the campaign that includes basic information about HIV and testing options. The site also includes easy access to information about local HIV testing centers by zip code provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

NBA players featured in the PSAs include Lamar Odom and Luke Walton of the Los Angeles Lakers; Samuel Dalembert and Kyle Korver of the Philadelphia 76ers; and Richard Jefferson and Marcus Williams of the New Jersey Nets. Hip-Hop legend Doug E. Fresh produced the original music for the PSAs.

Among the more than one million people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S., the CDC estimates one in four does not know they are infected, and globally, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that 8 in 10 of people living with HIV in low or middle income countries do not know they are infected with the virus. Both the CDC and UNAIDS have encouraged more routine testing.

"Through relationships with organizations like the GBC, the NBA, our teams and players are to build on our commitment to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, here at home and around the world," said NBA Senior Vice President Kathy Behrens.

"HBO has a long history of using our network in the service of illuminating and elevating the issue of AIDS into our culture," said Richard Plepler, HBO Co-President. "As part of our promise to making a difference, it has been our privilege to commit our resources to this PSA campaign."

"HIV is on the rise in the U.S. as it is around the world. Knowing your status is essential to bringing infection rates down and increasing access to life-saving medications," said GBC President and CEO Richard Holbrooke. "We are honored to join with member companies NBA and HBO as well as the Kaiser Family Foundation on this important campaign, which builds crucial momentum for GBC's larger Test America initiative."

"Having Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah, and NBA players talking about HIV testing helps to present testing as a more routine part of care, as recommended by the CDC," said Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman. "HIV testing provides an opportunity to receive counseling about risks, and early knowledge of HIV status helps link people to care."

"Increasing the number of people who are aware of their HIV infection is an essential step toward improved HIV treatment and prevention efforts in the U.S. Today nearly 40 percent of individuals diagnosed with HIV are diagnosed within one year of developing AIDS " that's on average ten years after they become infected. For many, it may be too late to fully benefit from available treatments. At the same time, data suggest that individuals who do not know their HIV status account from between 50 and 70 percent of new sexually transmitted HIV infections in the US. But when people learn they are HIV-infected, research shows that most take steps to protect others from infection" said Kevin A. Fenton, M.D., Ph.D., FFPH, Director, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention.

The PSAs will be shown in arenas during NBA games throughout the 2007-2008 regular season. MTV and BET have also committed to airing the PSAs in the U.S. as part of their longstanding public education partnerships, thinkHIV and Rap-It-Up respectively. Internationally, the Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI) will distribute the PSAs to its more than 100 members in more than 60 countries. The African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (ABMP) and the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS (CBMP) have also committed to distributing the PSAs to their members media companies to air in their respective regions. The PSAs being distributed by the ABMP and CBMP will refer audiences to local resources.

The partnership will also be featured on June 13 at the GBC's 2007 Annual Awards for Business Excellence that will honor former President Bill Clinton for his outstanding leadership on HIV/AIDS. The PSAs grew out of a commitment made at the 2006 annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting, held in New York City last fall.