Watch: Getting Tested For HIV Live!

With National HIV Testing Day fast approaching, I decided to make a video about it -- and get tested live on camera to show people that there are options and that it doesn't need to be scary.
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As men who have sex with me, we know we're at higher risk for STDs like HIV. And we know we should get tested every three to six months. But for a whole slew of reasons, that doesn't always happen.

For one, we're busy. Life happens, and getting tested isn't always convenient. Or maybe we don't like needles. Or maybe it's fear and stigma that holds us back.

When I was a young gay boy, I have memories of waiting in line at the Chelsea Free Clinic in New York City. Back then, getting tested was a big ordeal -- and the clinic was dark, intimidating and bizarrely cruisy. Actually, not entirely unlike the bathhouses that ensured job security for the nurses and doctors.

Fast forward to 2016 and a lot has changed. But I don't think many people realize that there are more options, more privacy and more convenience. And with National HIV Testing Day fast approaching, I decided to make a video about it -- and get tested live on camera to show people that there are options and that it doesn't need to be scary.

Check it out:

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