Resources for National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Activities
Topics
National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD) is on September 27. This awareness day allows us to reflect on the impact that HIV has had on gay and bisexual men over the past three decades and remember those we have lost, as well as to acknowledge the many contributions of gay and bisexual men, including their tireless activism on behalf of those at risk for and living with HIV.
Today’s blog highlights communication resources for the upcoming awareness day.
Testing and Diagnosis
Testing is the essential first step to diagnosis of HIV. Our HIV Basics pages discuss what HIV testing is and why it matters, and what to expect when going in for an HIV test. This content is adaptable for social media use, and individuals and organizations are welcome to use any images on these pages in their NGMHAAD outreach efforts.
Treatment
With early linkage to care and treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART), people with HIV can live long and healthy lives. There is also an important prevention benefit: people with HIV who take HIV medication daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to their partners.
Our HIV Basics section discusses starting HIV treatment and staying in care. In addition, our HIV Testing and Services Locator is a tool that can help people who are newly diagnosed find care and treatment services. With just a few clicks, individuals can find the nearest HIV treatment, health, and social services. We invite you to share this tool to reach gay and bisexual men and others who are aware of their HIV status. Details on this newly updated resource can be found in our blog.
Focus on Prevention
Several of our HIV Basics pages focus on HIV risk and prevention methods, including prevention options that may be available in the future. In addition, our HIV Testing and Services Locator can be used to find PrEP services. These resources can be highlighted in your NGMHAAD observance activities.
We also encourage you to spread the word about Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America, including the role prevention plays in ending the epidemic. Remember to sign up for our email newsletter to receive updates on the initiative.
CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign is an important resource for talking about HIV prevention. It includes images, videos, and more that can help you reach your audience. CDC has also posted NGMHAAD materials to support prevention communication.
Responding to HIV
Our blog covers surveillance and the national response to HIV, including efforts to address HIV in highly-impacted populations such as gay and bisexual men. We also report implementation developments of the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. You can share these posts with your audiences and, as you plan your communications, please visit the HIV.gov resource page for the NGMHAAD observance where we curate resources from federal and community partners.