Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today launched a World AIDS Day celebration that is slated to last all week, announcing a collaboration of 27 organizations to encourage HIV awareness and testing.

"Today is special because for the first time, we've all joined forces," Mr. Ravenstahl said.

HIV/AIDS, he said, "is a disease that affects all communities, regardless of your race, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation."

An estimated 3,000 people in southwestern Pennsylvania have HIV or AIDS.

The weeklong HIV/AIDS awareness push includes free testing in a van parked on Fourth Avenue, next to the City-County Building, today. The test is done by oral swab, said Kathi Boyle, executive director of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force. "No needles, no pins, no blood," she said. "Give yourself an early holiday gift by knowing your status."

She said that 30 percent of new HIV infections this year will stem from heterosexual contact. She said that there's a new HIV infection in the United States every nine and a half minutes.

The allied groups, led by the Task Force and the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh, are distributing 1,000 HIV/AIDS awareness t-shirts and 10,000 informational cards, plus an interfaith service at Heinz Chapel at 7 p.m. today. The Highmark Building spire will glow red, and giant banners already grace the City-County Building fa??ade.

Pittsburgh Councilman Bruce Kraus later presented an HIV/AIDS awareness proclamation, issued by President Barack Obama's office, at council's meeting. "Especially, more and more, it's a younger demographic," getting HIV, Mr. Kraus said. The growing effectiveness of anti-HIV/AIDS drugs has led to risky behavior, he said. "The real defense is to remain negative."

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