World AIDS Day 2014: Resources for a shared effort towards an AIDS-free generation

For the HIV community, the December 1st observance of World AIDS Day provides an unparalleled opportunity to bring wide attention to our collective response to the epidemic. The U.S. Government’s theme this year is “Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-free Generation.”

Leading up to World AIDS Day, HIV.gov is sharing 10 simple, ready-to-use resources on a daily basisExit Disclaimer to help you reach specific subsets of your audiences as you plan local observances. There are many audiences to reach with World AIDS Day messaging, but below are additional resources to reach three key groups: young adults, clinicians, and people disproportionately at risk for getting HIV.

Reach Young Adults

• Nationwide, youth have been joining the Facing AIDS photo-sharing initiative since its inception seven years ago. Here’s a video that explains the opportunityExit Disclaimer to share your own message. You can encourage use of the hashtag #FacingAIDSExit Disclaimer to share messages this year. By sharing the video, you can start conversations about the future that young adults face and have a role in shaping.
• Learn and share the facts on youth and HIV and the basics about HIV and AIDS.
• Using Facebook? Use our World AIDS Day poster to make Facebook cover artExit Disclaimer.
• Share images from the HIV.gov Instagram page Exit Disclaimer
• Keep the conversation going with tweets using #WAD2014 Exit Disclaimer

Reach Clinicians and Service Providers

An important way to educate medical and social service providers who may not be serving people living with HIV every day is to share the facts:

• Have you learned the most recent statistics from the HIV Basics section on HIV.gov or referred a patient to find services through the HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator?
• Have you read and shared policy and research updates from the HIV.gov blog? If you offer these current, reliable sources, you may pique provider interest.
• Finally, remember that customizable posters may be very useful to providers this week.

Reach Individuals at Risk

Many of the resources noted above can help you reach people at risk.

• For outreach to specific populations, check out the many resources on HIV.gov’s Federal Campaigns page. CDC and other agencies have produced graphics, videos, and social media assets that are ready to incorporate into your World AIDS Day communications.

• More resources are available on the HIV.gov World AIDS Day awareness page.

There are many subsets of people who can and should be reached on and around World AIDS Day. A vital aspect of this observance is that each effort to reach a different community group can make a difference in moving us towards an AIDS-free generation. Through your work, I hope you will take this opportunity to contribute to this year’s theme: Focus, Partner, and Achieve: An AIDS-free generation. What tools are you using for your communication this World AIDS Day?