December Is World AIDS Awareness Month.

World AIDS Day is held on the 1^st December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day, held for the first time in 1988.

Globally there are an estimated 34 million people who have the virus. Despite the virus only being identified in 1984, more than 35 million people have died of HIV or AIDS, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.

Today, scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment, there are laws to protect people living with HIV and we understand so much more about the condition. Despite this, people do not know the facts about how to protect themselves and others, and stigma and discrimination remain a reality for many people living with the condition.

World AIDS Day is important because it reminds the public and Government that HIV has not gone away – there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education. The federal theme for the 2018 observance is “Saving Lives through Leadership and Partnerships.”

Find HIV testing and other services near you: You can ask your health care provider for an HIV test. Many medical clinics, substance abuse programs, community health centers, and hospitals offer them too. You can also find a testing site near you by:

calling 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636),
visiting gettested.cdc.gov or locator.hiv.gov, or
texting your ZIP code to KNOW IT (566948).

Learn about HIV: You may also learn more about HIV by visiting legitimate online sources like: HIV Basics. More than 1M people in the US are living with AIDS and 1 out of 7 don’t know it. Get the facts on the HIV epidemic from HIV.gov #WAD2018 https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics

Get Involved by attending events and following online forums: Here are some events listed on HIV.gov: