Talking it up: National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day communication resources

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD) is observed each year on September 18th. The theme for the day is "Aging is a part of life; HIV doesn't have to be!"

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, In 2018, nearly half of people in the US and dependent areas living with diagnosed HIV are aged 50 and older. 

NHAAD is an important opportunity to remind us that age is no protection against HIV and that ensuring older people with HIV get linked to medical care and have access to support services to help them stay healthy and remain engaged in care is an important part of ending the HIV epidemic.

Below are some federal- and community-developed communication resources for your use.

Federal Communication Resources

You can find information on NHAAD and HIV prevention, care, and treatment for older adults here:

• Administration for Community Living: HIV/AIDS
• CDC: HIV and Older Americans (fact sheet)
• HIV.gov: Aging with HIV
• National Institute on Aging: HIV/AIDS and Older People

HIV.gov curates NHAAD-specific and aging-related resources from the federal agencies on our NHAAD page. (That’s also where you can find the NHAAD logo.)

Here’s a few examples: CDC has provided a fact sheet about HIV and older adults. AIDSinfo provides a brief fact sheet on HIV and older people in a Q&A format.

Data about serving older adults in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is available from HRSA. To address the support needs of older adults with HIV, HRSA hosted two webinars: Healthcare Needs of Adults with HIV who are Aging in the RWHAPExit Disclaimer and Psychosocial and Support Needs for People with HIV who are Aging in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS ProgramExit Disclaimer.

From the Community

The AIDS Institute is the national lead for this day. Their websiteExit Disclaimer offers several resources for preparing communications for NHAAD, including a social media and outreach guideExit Disclaimer with sample content. You can also sign up to receive their Aging Healthy Resources Newsletter.

On September 17, 2020, from 3:00–4:00 p.m. (ET), the Institute will host a NHAAD webinar that aims to help patients, providers, and others who are involved in the support and care of older individuals at risk for, and living with HIV, stay up-to-date on issues that affect healthcare access. Registration is openExit Disclaimer.

However you choose to communicate at NHAAD 2020, know that HIV can affect the lives of older adults – and your communications may change lives.