#FF #NHTD

The title of this blog post might not make sense to people that don’t use Twitter a lot, so let me explain.  On Twitter, it is common to use a ‘hashtag’.  This is an abbreviation preceded by a pound sign or ‘hash mark’.  #FF is the hashtag for ‘Follow Friday’.  Follow Friday is a tradition on Twitter of listing interesting other people to follow on Twitter.  There are many people on Twitter, and it can be difficult to find someone who is tweeting about something you are interested in, especially if you’re not interested in what your friends are having for breakfast.

#NHTD is the hashtag for National HIV Testing Day and over the past week, I’ve been getting into some great discussions.  Probably at the top of the list is @AIDSGov.  It is a great source of information, and a cornerstone of U.S. Government information about AIDS.  Organizing the chats this week has been the Center for Disease Control’s National Prevention Information Network, @CDCNPIN.  There most recent chat participant has been the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, @SAMSAgov.   Also participating in the chats has been the Health Resources and Services Administration @HRSAGov and the National Association of People with AIDS, @napwaus

Other participants have included the Manitoba First Nations HIV / AIDS Working Group, @MFNAWG, The Desert AIDS Project, @DesertAIDS, the Circles of San Antonio Community Coalition, @CirclesofSA, Treat Texas, @TreatTexas, and the Hispanic Aids Awareness Program, @hispanicaids.

Here in Connecticut, the Connecticut Post, @connpost posted a link to their blog post listing National HIV Testing Day activities in Connecticut.  The information was made available from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, @CTDPH. 

If you’re on Twitter, please consider following these people.  No matter where you are, please, spread the word about National HIV Testing Day and encourage people you know to get tested.  As the Connecticut Post article mentions, CHC will be provide HIV testing at our Middletown Medical site on Monday.