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We love fun and games and posts about Faggot Families as much as the next gay gossip blog, but once in a while we feel it's our duty to shake the sass out of our systems and take things seriously for a second.
Today, June 27th, is National HIV Testing Day. Seeing as one in four people living with HIV/AIDS in America is unaware they're infected, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends routine HIV screening for all adults and adolescents (ages 13-64), especially those sexually active or involved in intravenous drug use.
Dreamy rapper, actor, and all-around good guy Common and his Common Ground Foundation, in collaboration with the Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV, launched a contest earlier this year looking for the best batch of lyrics to encourage young people to get tested. 18-year-old Jose Rivera from Ewing, Nebraska, was recently chosen as the winner and Common raps his lyrics in the following public service announcement airing on MTV, MTV2, and MTVU throughout the summer.
In an interview discussing the contest Common said, "It's important to know your status by getting tested because HIV/AIDS is taking a lot of lives in our community and around the world. I had an uncle succumb to HIV, so I've personally felt the impact of the disease."
If you're interested in getting tested today (or any day) -- and we hope you are and do -- you can find local HIV testing centers at www.hivtest.org or by texting your zip code to KNOWIT (566948) from most mobile phones. If you're interested in getting with Common -- get in line.
-- NOAH MICHELSON
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