On the way to the farmers' market in my neighborhood park this weekend, I was approached by a volunteer whose arms were overflowing with leaflets and buttons. I'm used to people at the market asking me some pretty personal questions, like where I got my nifty compost bucket, how I get my electric power, what do I think about hydrofracking, and whether I subscribe to The New York Times. Still, the question she asked—"Hey, would you like to get tested for HIV?"—took me by surprise, until I realized that June 27 (today) is National HIV Testing Day.

Given the importance of catching HIV early to get the care necessary to prevent it from becoming AIDS (and to prevent passing it along), I was glad to see the volunteers. Getting tested for something as serious as HIV can be intimidating, and—as many of us know from experience—it can be easy to put off. By approaching all passersby and urging them to take responsibility for their health, these volunteers made HIV tests seem like another ordinary, responsible habit for conscientious adults.

The Black Women's Health Imperative is also trying to get people talking openly about HIV. In honor of National HIV Testing Day, the BWHI's Elevate campaign has organized a "blog-a-thon" to "elevate the conversation about black women and HIV." They've asked popular African-American female bloggers to weigh in on the topic. We especially enjoyed this music video featuring a Lil Wayne look-alike (complete with grill and Auto-Tune). It addresses the elevated HIV risks of the African-American population while cheerfully spreading the catchy message that women and men of all ethnicities should get tested. You'll be humming this tune all the way home...or to a testing center in your area.