HIV/AIDS Awareness Days
December 1st - World AIDS Day
Approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV. About 13 percent of them don't know it and need testing.
Other Awareness Days
September 18th - National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAAD)
The National AIDS Institute* launched National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day on September 18, 2008. NHAAAD is observed annually on or around September 18th. The campaigned is recognized by the U.S. Deparmtent of Health and Human Services, Office of HIV/AIDS Policy, and www.aids.gov.
*Please Note: This is not referring to the New York State Department of Health's AIDS Institute
September 27th - National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) founded this day, which began in 2008, to raise gay men's awareness of the HIV epidemic and the role they can play in bringing it to an end.
- Information on AIDS.gov
- Blog by Kevin A. Fenton, MD, PhD, FFPH - Director, CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
October 15th - National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD)
The Latino Commission on AIDS (LCOA), the Hispanic Federation and many other organizations organize this day. The NLAAD campaign works at building capacity for non-profit organizations and health departments to reach out to Latino/Hispanic communities, promote HIV testing and provide HIV prevention information and access to care.
- CDC's feature on Latino AIDS Awareness Day
- HIV Among Hispanics/Latinos - CDC
- AIDS.gov Recursos en Español
February 7th - National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD)
The Strategic Leadership Council directs, plans, and organizes NBHAAD with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Moving Black Men Along the HIV Care Continuum - webinar
- Take Charge. Take the Test. - campaign for Black/African American women
- 2015 blog post by HHS Secretary Burwell
March 10th - National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD)
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is yearly observance to recognize the impact of HIV on women and girls.
- CDC Information about NWGHAAD
- Read about progress made on the intersection of HIV/AIDS violence against women and girls, and gender-related health disparities
- Department of Health and Human Services - The Office on Women's Health (OWH)
March 20th - National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is a collaborative effort between the organizations listed below. Please see their website for NNAAD information and events.
- Asian Pacific Islander Wellness Center
- NNAAD Events Map
- Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board
- National Native American AIDS Prevention Center
April 10th - National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
In 2012, at the International AIDS Conference, youth advocates announced the inauguration of National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Advocates and other founding partners are recognizing the key role of youth in our collective response to HIV. In the United States, almost 40% of new infections are young people between the ages of 13 to 29.
May 18th - HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
This day is to recognize and thank the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, and scientists who are working together to find a safe and effective HIV vaccine. This observance is also a day to educate our communitites about the importance of preventive HIV vaccine research.
- Be The Generation to End the AIDS Epidemic
- National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases - HIV/AIDS
- Learn about prevention research
May 19th - National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
- The Banyan Tree Project - a national campagin to end the silence and shame surrounding HIV/AIDS in Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
- Resources from AIDS.gov and The CDC
June 8th - National Caribbean-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
June 27th - National HIV Testing Day (NHTD)
National HIV Testing Day is a day to emphasize and encourage HIV Testing.
The 2022 theme of National HIV Testing Day is HIV Testing is Self-care. Self-care is defined by the World Health Organization as "the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, individual acts of self-care - mask wearing, hand washing, social distancing, and getting vaccinated - have been shown to be lifesavers for individuals, families, and communities. HIV testing is also an act of self-care: knowledge of one's status opens the door to prevention or treatment services that help people live longer, healthier lives, regardless of their HIV status.
In a continued effort to facilitate and increase the access to HIV testing across the state of New York, the NYSDOH AIDS Institute continues to partner with multiple community-based organizations and healthcare centers supporting HIV testing programs. These programs are focused on promoting HIV testing in the communities, particularly among people most at risk of HIV or who are unaware of their status and providing additional resources such as counseling, educational materials, safer sex kits and linkage to prevention and treatment care, including PrEP and PEP. In addition, the NYSDOH AIDS Institute offers free HIV self-test kits via its HIV Home Test Giveaway. For National HIV Testing Day, interested individuals can text the word MYTEST to 40457 to see if they are eligible to receive a free HIV self-test kit.
How You Can Help
- Talk to your friends, family members and colleagues about HIV testing being a basic part of self-care. In addition to the NYSDOH AIDS Institute's HIV Home Test Giveaway, the CDC's website includes an HIV-testing site locator where you can find a testing site near you.
- Inform people about the NYSDOH AIDS Institute's Provider Directory where they can search for HIV, STI, HCV and drug-user health service providers in their area.
- Share these posts on social media tagging #HIVTestingDay and #StopHIVTogether leading up to National HIV Testing Day and on the day of the observance, June 27.
El Día Nacional de la Prueba del VIH
El tema del Dia Nacional de la Prueba del VIH para el 2020 es La Prueba de VIH es Autocuidado. Según la Organización Mundial de la Salud, el autocuidado es “la habilidad de las personas, familias y comunidades para promover la salud, prevenir las enfermedades, mantener la salud, y afrontar las enfermedades y discapacidad independientemente del apoyo de un proveedor de salud”.
Durante la pandemia del COVID-19, las acciones individuales de autocuidado – utilizar una mascarilla, lavado de manos, distanciamiento social y vacunarse – demostraron ser efectivos para proteger las vidas de las personas, sus familias y comunidades. Hacerse la prueba de VIH es también un acto de autocuidado; conocer nuestro estatus abre las puertas para recibir servicios de prevención o tratamiento que pueden ayudar a las personas a vivir una vida más larga y saludable independientemente de su estatus de VIH.
En un esfuerzo continuo para facilitar y aumentar el acceso a servicios de prueba del VIH a través del estado de Nueva York, el Instituto del SIDA del Departamento de Salud del estado de Nueva York continúa colaborando con múltiples organizaciones comunitarias y centros de salud apoyando programas de prueba del VIH. Estos programas están focalizados en promover la prueba del VIH en las comunidades, particularmente entre las personas a mayor riesgo de contraer VIH o quienes desconocen sus estatus de VIH, y proveer recursos adicionales como: consejería, materiales educativos, kits de sexo mas seguro, y enlace a tratamiento y servicios de prevención, incluyendo PrEP y PEP. Además, el Instituto del SIDA del Departamento de Salud ofrece de forma gratuita autopruebas de VIH a través de su Programa de Distribución de Autopruebas. Para el Día Nacional de la Prueba del VIH
, las personas interesadas pueden textear la palabra MYTEST al 40457 para verificar si son elegibles recibir directamente en sus hogares de forma gratuita un kit de prueba del VIH.Cómo Puede Ayudar
- Hable sus amistades, familia y colegas acerca de hacerse la prueba del VIH como parte del autocuidado. Además del Programa de Distribución de Autopruebas del Instituto del SIDA del Departamento de Salud de Nueva York, el sitio web de los CDC incluye un localizador de pruebas del VIH donde podrá encontrar el sitio de prueba más cercano a usted.
- Oriente a las personas sobre el Directorio de Proveedores del Instituto del SIDA del NYSDOH donde podrán hacer una búsqueda de los proveedores de servicios de salud relacionados al HIV, ITS, VHC y para usuarios de drogas en su área.
- Comparta estos posts e imágenes en las redes sociales usando los hashtags #DiaNacionalDeLaPruebaDelVIH y #DetengamosElVIH en los días previos al Dia Nacional de la Prueba del VIH y durante el día de conmemoración, el 27 de junio.
