aids awareness programme essay

Essay on AIDS Awareness

Students are often asked to write an essay on AIDS Awareness in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on AIDS Awareness

Understanding aids.

AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, is a severe illness caused by HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It weakens our immune system, making us vulnerable to other diseases.

How it Spreads

HIV spreads through unprotected sex, sharing needles, or from an HIV-positive mother to her child during birth. It doesn’t spread through casual contact.

Prevention is Key

Using protection during sex, not sharing needles, and getting tested regularly can prevent HIV. There’s no cure for AIDS, but treatment can manage symptoms.

The Importance of Awareness

AIDS awareness is crucial. It helps in prevention, reduces stigma, and encourages people to get tested.

250 Words Essay on AIDS Awareness

Introduction.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a life-threatening condition caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Despite being a global health issue for over four decades, there are still misconceptions and stigma surrounding it. Therefore, increasing AIDS awareness is paramount.

The Importance of AIDS Awareness

AIDS awareness is crucial to prevent new infections, provide support to those affected, and dispel the myths associated with the disease. The spread of HIV primarily occurs through unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing of needles, and from an infected mother to her child during childbirth or breastfeeding. Knowledge about these transmission routes can help individuals take necessary precautions.

Role of Education in AIDS Awareness

Education plays a substantial role in enhancing AIDS awareness. Comprehensive sexual education can equip young adults with the knowledge to protect themselves and others. It can also foster empathy towards those living with AIDS, helping to combat the social stigma.

Impact of Technology on AIDS Awareness

The advent of technology has revolutionized the way we disseminate information. Social media platforms, online campaigns, and digital health resources have made AIDS awareness more accessible than ever. However, the challenge lies in ensuring the credibility of online information.

In conclusion, AIDS awareness is crucial in our global fight against this pandemic. Through education and the effective use of technology, we can prevent new infections, support those affected, and break down the barriers of stigma and misinformation. The battle against AIDS is not just a medical fight, but a social one too, and awareness is our most potent weapon.

500 Words Essay on AIDS Awareness

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, more commonly known as AIDS, is a life-threatening condition caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Since the first reported cases in the early 1980s, AIDS has evolved into a global pandemic, affecting millions of lives. Despite medical advancements and improved treatment options, the absence of a definitive cure makes AIDS awareness crucial for prevention and control.

The Global Impact of AIDS

AIDS has a significant global footprint, with Sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected region. However, it is a misconception that AIDS is restricted to developing nations. The disease has a considerable presence in developed countries, indicating its indiscriminate nature. The socio-economic implications of AIDS are profound, as it primarily affects individuals in their productive years, leading to a significant workforce reduction and escalating healthcare costs.

Understanding HIV and AIDS

HIV is a retrovirus that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells, which protect the body against infections. As the virus replicates, it gradually weakens the immune system, making the body susceptible to opportunistic infections and diseases. When the number of CD4 cells falls below a certain level, HIV infection progresses to AIDS. It is crucial to understand that not all individuals with HIV will develop AIDS, and with proper treatment, they can lead healthy lives.

Transmission and Prevention

HIV is primarily transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing of infected needles, from an infected mother to her child during childbirth or breastfeeding, and through transfusion of contaminated blood. Awareness about these modes of transmission is the first step towards prevention. Safe practices such as using condoms, avoiding sharing needles, and ensuring screened blood transfusions can significantly reduce the risk of HIV infection.

The Role of Education in AIDS Awareness

Education plays a pivotal role in AIDS awareness. Comprehensive sex education and harm reduction programs can equip individuals with knowledge about safe practices. Moreover, education can dispel myths and misconceptions about AIDS, reducing stigma and discrimination associated with the disease.

The Importance of Testing and Treatment

Early detection of HIV is crucial for effective management of the disease. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can suppress the virus, preventing its progression to AIDS and reducing the risk of transmission. Regular testing, therefore, is an integral part of AIDS awareness.

AIDS awareness is not just about disseminating information about the disease. It involves creating an environment of empathy and understanding, where individuals feel comfortable seeking help and advice. With collective efforts in education, testing, and treatment, it is possible to control the spread of AIDS and work towards a future free from this devastating disease.

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A student's guide to world aids day.

A list of ideas you can use to observe World AIDS Day and other HIV Awareness Days on your college or university campus.

Held every year on December 1st, World AIDS Day is an opportunity for students in the United States and abroad to show their support for people living with and affected by HIV. In the U.S., approximately 25 percent of new HIV cases occur among young people between the ages of 13-24. Therefore, it is particularly important for college and university students to make their voices heard and organize efforts to raise HIV awareness on their campuses. Here are some ideas you can pursue based on what other colleges and universities have done to observe World AIDS Day and other HIV Awareness Days .

Ideas for World AIDS Day

Candlelight Vigil: Light candles for those who’ve lost their lives to AIDS-related complications in the United States and abroad.

Red Ribbon Mural: Pin red ribbons onto a mural to honor the lives of the people who’ve died of AIDS-related complications around the world.

AIDS Memorial Quilt: Host the AIDS Memorial Quilt at your college or university. It’s easy, affordable, and an important way to preserve and teach others the history of AIDS activism.

Kissing Booth: Far too many people still believe HIV can be transmitted through saliva. Debunk this common myth by organizing a kissing booth on your campus.

A Day Without Art: Hold a ‘A Day Without Art’ to remember artists who are no longer with us because of HIV.

Ideas for all HIV Awareness Days

Experts’ Panel: Convene a panel of local, regional, and national experts who can talk about the current realities of HIV. HRC would be happy to help.

Speakers’ Bureau: Many communities have a local speakers’ bureau of people living with HIV who are ready and willing to share their personal stories. Check with local advocacy organizations for contact information.

Benefit Concert: Organize a concert where proceeds benefit an HIV or AIDS service organization in your community.

Film Screenings: Host a film screening and discussion on one or more movies or documentaries about the HIV epidemic.

Health Fair: Organize a health fair where students can learn how to have safer and more pleasurable sex.

Tips for a Successful Event

Collaborate! Collaborate! Collaborate! Reach out to student organizations (e.g., Black Student Union, Queer Student Union) and student affairs professionals (e.g., Counseling & Psychological Services) that might be interested in working with you on the event.

Distribute Condoms & Lube: Depending on the event, it might be a good idea to order condoms and lube and make them available to your attendees.

Involve Your Local ASO: Reach out to the local AIDS Service Organization in your area to see if they would like to co-sponsor the event and/or provide free, rapid HIV testing.

Contact HRC: HRC has a number of resources available that we would be happy to send to your campus free-of-charge, including:

Let’s Bring HIV Out of the Closet: HIV & AIDS Resource Guide

What Do I Do? A Handbook to Understanding Health and HIV

Safer Sex for Trans Bodies

This resource is not a substitute for sound medical advice — and the examples throughout it don’t cover every situation! We encourage you to seek out additional resources from other community advocates and, most importantly, talk to a knowledgeable healthcare provider before making any medical decisions. Last updated: February 2017

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What is World AIDS Day?

Each year, on 1 December, the world commemorates World AIDS Day. People around the world unite to show support for people living with HIV and to remember those who have died from AIDS-related illnesses.

Each World AIDS Day focuses on a specific theme, which this year will be Let Communities Lead . Because change depends not on a moment but on a movement, the message “Let Communities Lead” will not only ring out on one day. It will be at the core of activities that will build up across November, see the release of the World AIDS Day Report – entitled Let Communities Lead – in late November, reach a crescendo on World AIDS Day on 1 December, and continue to echo throughout December and beyond.

This year’s theme joins a growing list of challenges that World AIDS Day has alerted people to globally. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever international day for global health. Every year, United Nations agencies, governments and civil society join together to campaign around specific themes related to HIV.

• Awareness-raising activities take place around the globe.
• Many people wear a red ribbon, the universal symbol of awareness of, support for and solidarity with people living with HIV. 
• People living with HIV make their voice heard on issues important in their lives.
• Groups of people living with HIV and other civil society organizations involved in the AIDS response mobilize in support of the communities they serve and to raise funds.
• Events highlight the current state of the epidemic.

World AIDS Day remains as relevant today as it’s always been, reminding people and governments that HIV has not gone away. There is still a critical need for increased funding for the AIDS response, to increase awareness of the impact of HIV on people’s lives, to end stigma and discrimination and to improve the quality of life of people living with HIV.

2023    Let Communities Lead

2022    Equalize

2021    End inequalities. End AIDS. End pandemics.

2020    Global solidarity, shared responsibility

2019    Communities make the difference

2018    Know your status

2017    My health, my right

2016    Hands up for HIV prevention

2015    On the Fast-Track to end AIDS

2014    Close the gap

2013    Zero discrimination

2012    Together we will end AIDS

2011    Getting to zero

2010    Universal access and human rights

2009    Universal access and human rights

2008    Stop AIDS. Keep the promise—lead, empower, deliver

2007    Stop AIDS. Keep the promise—leadership

2006    Stop AIDS. Keep the promise—accountability

2005    Stop AIDS. Keep the promise

2004    Women, girls, HIV and AIDS

2003    Stigma and discrimination

2002    Stigma and discrimination

2001    I care, do you?

2000    AIDS: men make a difference

1999    Listen, learn, live! World AIDS campaign with children and young people

1998    Force for change—world AIDS campaign with young people

1997    Children living in a world of AIDS

1996    One world, one hope

1995    Shared rights, shared responsibilities

1994    AIDS and the family

1993    Time to act

1992    AIDS—a community commitment

1991    Sharing the challenge

1990    Women and AIDS

1989    Our lives, our world—let’s take care of each other

1988    A world united against AIDS

2023 / Let Communities Lead

2022 / Equalize

2021 / End inequalities. End AIDS....

2020 / Global solidarity, shared...

2019 / Communities make the...

2018 / Know your status

2017 / My health, my right

2016 / Hands up for HIV prevention

2015 / On the Fast-Track to end AIDS

2014 / Close the gap

2013 / Zero discrimination

2012 / Together we will end AIDS

2011 / Getting to zero

Commemorated every year on December 1, World Aids Day is an opportunity to highlight worldwide efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, a disease that has already killed 35 million people.

A destructive disease, HIV/AIDS is not only a life-threatening condition, but it also affects economic and human development, while exacerbating the cycle of poverty.

Despite no cure or vaccine being available, education has proven to be among the most cost-effective ways to prevent the spread of this disease. In fact, education can save lives, by providing individuals with the knowledge to reduce their risk of becoming infected.

Education: A cost-effective way to prevent HIV/AIDS

Educating children, and providing them with the knowledge and skills which can influence good choices to be made later in life, will protect them as they reach their most vulnerable years. Similarly, educating young people about how this disease is transmitted, prevention practices as well as encouraging sporadic testing, can yield the maximum return on education investments.

This is particularly true for adolescent girls and young women, who continue to be the most vulnerable and highest risk groups.

Protecting the most vulnerable group with education

Education is an effective tool to reduce the social and economic vulnerabilities that often make girls and women more prone to become infected with HIV/AIDS. Education promotes gender equality and women empowerment; what’s more, it has added benefits such as delaying marriage for young girls and providing an avenue for family planning. These benefits will help to educate and provide better opportunities for young girls and have positive ripple effects within a community.

Education raises awareness. Educated women are more likely to prevent the spread of the disease to their children, as they understand the importance of testing during pregnancy and are mindful of the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission via breastfeeding.

In addition to helping with HIV prevention, education increases the tolerance and empathy of individuals who have contracted the disease. By addressing fears and changing attitudes, education reduces discrimination and stigmas – the leading causes for children and adolescents to drop out of school.

GPE developing country partners’ efforts

Several GPE developing country partners recognize the inextricable link between education and health. Making efforts to ensure both students and educators have access to HIV/AIDS education, while providing adequate support to HIV-positive individuals are some of the ways GPE developing partners countries have implemented to combat the disease.

Below, are examples of initiatives these countries have undertaken:

• Eritrea is ensuring that HIV/AIDS education is integrated in the school curriculum. In addition, several education and communication activities are being organized to raise students’ awareness on prevention practices, as well as available care and treatment options.
• Cameroon is organizing annual consultations on HIV/AIDS at schools, universities, and vocational training centers. Training for teachers and support staff on prevention practices is now provided regularly.
• The Republic of Congo is developing a policy and strategy to fight HIV/AIDS within the education sector.
• Sao Tome and Principe is ensuring that all schools offer an integrated knowledge package on sexual/reproductive health and hygiene in general.
• Guyana through a School Health, Nutrition, and HIV/AIDS Unit, trains and sensitizes teachers and other educators on issues related to this disease while providing support to HIV-positive individuals.

Education saves lives

Educated children and youth have a better chance to protect themselves with access to all the facts about HIV/AIDS. On World AIDS Day, let’s commit to fight this disease by devoting more efforts and resources to ensure all children, adolescents, and youth receive a quality education; and that schools are equipped with the tools to provide HIV/AIDS education and life skills training.

• The aids response in Africa: young women and adolescent girls left behind, UNAIDS & The African Union
• Education data, Global Partnership for Education

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Advancing the Global Fight Against HIV/Aids: Strategies, Barriers, and the Road to Eradication

Emmanuel kumah.

1 Department of Health Administration and Education, Faculty of Science Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

Dorothy Serwaa Boakye

Richard boateng, eunice agyei, associated data.

All relevant data are within the paper.

HIV/AIDS remains one of the most significant global health challenges, affecting millions of people worldwide. Since the inception of the disease, various global response strategies have been devised and implemented, aiming to mitigate its impact and ultimately eradicate it. While these strategies have yielded remarkable progress, there are still key barriers impeding the global fight against the disease. This paper, thus, delves into the key global response strategies employed in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic since its inception, examines the impediments to their successful implementation, and outlines the trajectory towards a world without AIDS. To continue the momentum in the fight against HIV/AIDS, it is imperative to adopt a multifaceted approach that addresses the existing barriers. One pivotal aspect of this approach involves intensifying efforts to improve the uptake of HIV testing. Encouraging individuals to get tested is a critical step, as it not only aids in identifying more cases of HIV infection but also facilitates the linkage of those affected to appropriate care and support services.

Introduction

The global HIV/AIDS epidemic has been one of the most significant public health challenges of the past few decades [ 1 ]. First identified in the early 1980s, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically targeting CD4+ T cells, which are crucial for maintaining a functional immune response [ 2 ]. As the virus replicates and destroys these cells, the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections and certain types of cancer. When left untreated, HIV infection can lead to the development of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), a condition in which the immune system is severely compromised, and life-threatening illnesses can occur [ 2 ].

The disease has affected millions of people worldwide, with sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) being the most heavily impacted region [ 1 ]. According to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), as of 2022, approximately 39 million people were living with HIV globally. Of these, an estimated 25.6 million were in SSA, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all HIV infections [ 3 ]. Other regions, such as Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, have also seen significant increases in HIV prevalence, though not on the same scale as SSA. The disease has had particularly devastating effects on the people of SSA, affecting not only individuals but also economies and social structures [ 3 ].

Global response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic

The global response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic has been a critical area of focus for the international community for several decades. This has been characterized by international collaboration, advocacy, and resource mobilization to tackle the multifaceted challenges posed by the disease. For instance, UNAIDS, a joint program of the United Nations dedicated to addressing the disease, was established in 1996 to coordinate international efforts, advocate for increased funding and resources, and support countries in implementing effective HIV/AIDS programs [ 4 ]. Improving access to HIV treatment, particularly through the widespread availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), has also been a significant focus of the world response to HIV/AIDS. The World Health Organization (WHO), for instance, introduced the “Treat All” policy in 2015, recommending immediate initiation of ART for all people living with HIV [ 5 ]. Another crucial aspect of the global response to HIV/AIDS is prevention. The UNAIDS strategy in this area focuses on combination prevention, including measures such as condom distribution, harm reduction programs for injecting drug users, and promoting voluntary medical male circumcision in high-prevalence regions [ 6 ]. The WHO’s Option B+ strategy, which involves providing lifelong ART to all pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV, has been widely adopted as a strategy to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) has also emerged as a critical prevention tool for people at high risk of HIV infection [ 5 ]. PrEP is a highly effective method for individuals at high risk of HIV infection, as it involves taking antiretroviral medication to reduce the likelihood of contracting the virus [ 5 ]. Other strategies that have been employed to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic include addressing stigma and discrimination, integrating HIV services with other health interventions, empowering key population groups, and investing in research and innovation [ 6 , 7 ].

Impact of the global HIV/AIDS response strategies

The global response strategies have resulted in significant progress in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. For instance, the UNAIDS’ 2022 report indicates that since 2010, annual new HIV infections have declined by 38%, from 2.1 million to 1.3 million in 2022. AIDS-related deaths have also decreased by 69% and 51% since 2004 and 2010, respectively, dropping from 2 million and 1.3 million to 630,000 in 2022 [ 8 ]. And among all people living with HIV, 86% know their status, 89% are accessing treatment, and 93% are virally suppressed [ 3 ]. This represents significant progress toward attaining the new 95-95-95 global target of diagnosing 95% of HIV-positive individuals, providing ART for 95% of those diagnosed, and achieving viral suppression for 95% of those treated by 2025 [ 8 ]. Overall, the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) estimates that in the past three decades, access to HIV treatment has averted about 20.8 million AIDS-related deaths worldwide [ 9 ]. PEPFAR is a funding organization initiated by the US government to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. It was launched by President George W. Bush in 2003 and has been a significant contributor to the international effort to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. PEPFAR provides financial support to countries heavily impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, aiming to improve access to prevention, care, and treatment services [ 10 ].

Barriers to implementing global HIV/AIDS interventions

While there have been positive outcomes, several barriers persist, which hamper the global fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Access to HIV testing and ART has been a critical issue in the global fight against the disease. Despite significant progress in raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and improving healthcare infrastructure, substantial challenges remain in ensuring widespread and equitable access to testing and treatment. In 2022, about 9.2 million people living with HIV were not receiving treatment, while about 5.5 million people did not know they were living with the condition [ 3 ]. Many low- and middle-income countries (LMCs) continue to face barriers to obtaining life-saving medications [ 6 ].

Another key barrier to the global effort in the fight against HIV/AIDS pertains to stigma and discrimination. This negative social perception toward people living with HIV/AIDS is having devastating consequences for individuals and communities. It is hindering HIV prevention programs by deterring individuals from getting tested, disclosing their status, and practicing safer behaviors [ 11 ].

Gender inequality is also playing a substantial role in increasing the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV infection. Societal norms, unequal power dynamics, and violence against women are hindering their ability to negotiate safe sex and access healthcare [ 12 ]. In 2022, for instance, women and girls accounted for 63% of all new HIV infections in the WHO African region [ 3 ].

Furthermore, insufficient sex education and a lack of awareness about safe sexual practices, particularly in developing countries, have become significant impediments to the global fight against HIV/AIDS [ 13 ]. Several barriers hinder efforts to improve sex education and awareness in developing countries. Sociocultural taboos around discussing sexuality, along with limited resources for educational initiatives, pose challenges to implementing effective programs [ 13 ].

Moreover, insufficient funding for HIV/AIDS programs and research remains a significant barrier to progress in combating the epidemic [ 3 , 13 ]. A 2022 report by amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research) indicates that declining investment in research has resulted in fewer scientific breakthroughs and a slowdown in the development of new antiretroviral drugs and preventive measures [ 14 ]. This lack of financial support stifles innovation and prolongs the timeline for achieving a world free from AIDS.

Achieving an AIDS-free world: the way forward

The future direction in the fight against HIV/AIDS should be marked by a commitment to a comprehensive and inclusive approach that addresses the individual, social, and structural factors contributing to the epidemic. It also involves harnessing the power of science, technology, and community involvement to reduce new infections, improve the quality of life for those living with HIV, and ultimately work towards ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Of particular importance is intensifying efforts to improve the uptake of HIV testing. HIV testing plays a pivotal role as the primary and indispensable component of the HIV cascade of care, acting as the crucial first step in managing the epidemic [ 15 ]. It represents the first of the three goals set by UNAIDS to achieve epidemic control by 2025, where 95% of people living with HIV will be aware of their status [ 16 ].

Accurate and readily accessible HIV testing is of paramount importance. This accessibility is a cornerstone of directing individuals who test positive for HIV to receive the vital treatment they need [ 15 ]. Prompt linkage to care and treatment significantly improves the health and quality of life for those living with HIV, reducing death rates and enhancing overall well-being [ 15 ]. Furthermore, by identifying new cases and providing early access to treatment, we can reduce the viral load in the global community, thereby lowering the risk of transmission. A study by Cohen et al., published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that early initiation of ART reduced the risk of HIV transmission to uninfected partners by a remarkable 93% [ 17 ].

One pivotal aspect of HIV testing lies in its profound influence on high-risk behaviors. Evidence shows that knowing one’s status is closely associated with reductions in behaviors that carry a high risk of transmission [ 18 ]. Such behaviors include syringe sharing among people who inject drugs and inconsistent condom use among those engaged in sexual activities [ 18 ]. Being aware of one’s HIV/AIDS status acts as a catalyst for safer practices, as individuals are more likely to adopt protective measures when they understand the potential risks involved. This, in turn, contributes to curbing the transmission of the virus and decreasing the burden of the epidemic [ 18 ].

In pursuit of this goal, the WHO has taken an active role in advocating for and promoting HIV testing as a key strategy in the global fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. One of the foundational documents outlining the WHO’s approach to HIV testing is the “Consolidated Guidelines on HIV Testing Services,” which was first published in 2015 and updated in 2019 [ 19 ]. These guidelines emphasize the importance of making HIV testing accessible, available, and acceptable to all while respecting individual autonomy and rights. The guidelines highlight the benefits of testing, including early diagnosis, timely treatment initiation, and prevention of HIV transmission [ 19 ].

The WHO advocates for a range of HIV testing approaches, including facility-based testing, community-based testing, self-testing, and partner notification [ 19 ]. These approaches are tailored to the diverse needs and preferences of individuals in different settings. For instance, the promotion of self-testing allows individuals to test for HIV in the privacy of their own homes, which can help reduce stigma and increase testing uptake.

Furthermore, the WHO underscores the importance of integrating HIV testing with other health services, such as sexual and reproductive health services, tuberculosis screening, and harm reduction programs for people who inject drugs [ 19 ]. This integration could help normalize HIV testing and reach individuals who might otherwise not seek testing services.

In promoting HIV testing, the WHO also emphasizes the importance of ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, and linkage to care and support services for those who test positive. These principles are outlined in various WHO documents, including the “Guidelines on HIV Self-Testing and Partner Notification [ 19 ].”

It is worth noting that the success of HIV testing programs also relies on addressing structural barriers such as stigma, discrimination, and legal obstacles [ 20 ]. The WHO recognizes the need for policy and legal environments that support testing for HIV and protect the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS [ 19 ].

The global HIV/AIDS epidemic remains a significant public health challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and other vulnerable regions. While progress has been made in treatment and prevention, addressing issues of access, funding, stigma, and discrimination remains crucial to achieving effective control and eventual eradication of the disease. Promoting testing for HIV remains an essential strategy in the fight against the epidemic. Testing initiates the cascade of care, linking individuals to treatment and prevention services, which, in turn, facilitates viral load suppression and reduces the spread of the disease. The WHO has, therefore, been actively involved in advocating for and promoting HIV testing as a key strategy in the global response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Data Accessibility Statements

Competing interests.

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Author Contributions

Emmanuel Kumah conceived and designed the paper. Emmanuel Kumah, Dorothy Serwaa Boakye, Richard Boateng and Eunice Agyei contributed to drafting of the manuscript and revising for intellectual content. Dorothy Serwaa Boakye and Richard Boateng provided critical review of the paper. All authors read and approved the final version to be published.

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• Essay on AIDS

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is an infection that causes cells in the body that help it fight infections, making a person more susceptible to other infections and diseases. Interaction with certain bodily secretions of an HIV-positive individual, most commonly during unprotected intercourse (sex without the use of a condom or HIV treatment to prevent or treat HIV), or sharing injection drug equipment spreads the virus.

If HIV is not treated, it can progress to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV cannot be eradicated by the human body, and there is no effective HIV cure. As a result, whether you have HIV, you will have it for the rest of your life.

Long and Short AIDS Essay in English

There are many diseases causing microorganisms, like bacteria, viruses, fungi etc. The symptoms of the diseases depend on the type of microorganism that is spreading it. It can vary from mild to severe. AIDS which stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is a viral disease that is rampant in growth. It was only in the last century that this viral disease has proved to be lethal and fatal, taking away about twenty million lives globally. The awareness about the disease and the virus causing it which is HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus is more now compared to earlier. In this HIV AIDS essay, we can go through the important information about it and burst some myths.

Below are different ways to write an AIDS essay in English. The essay on HIV AIDS can be of 2 formats, a long essay on HIV AIDS or a short AIDS essay.

Short Essay on Aids

This AIDS essay is a brief one and will cover the important notes about the disease and the ways one can prevent it.

The way of occurrence of this disease is in the name itself, AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The disease is acquired via the virus which is called Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is not an auto-immune disease in the early stages of infection where the immune system in the body fights off infection to protect the body from diseases that go against itself. The virus enters from an outside source and destroys the efficiency of our immune system.

AIDS is transmitted through contact. The contact with infected blood of the HIV OR AIDS patient in any form can easily transfer this viral disease. It can also be transmitted through contact with semen or vaginal fluids of the infected person. This occurs in the case when one is sexually exposed to a person with HIV.

HIV once enters the body, invades and conquers the immune system making the body susceptible to other diseases. It is then very easy for the simple flu or cold infection to be severe as the immune system is no longer fit to fight it.

When detected in the early period can be battled with, but more often than not people assume the symptoms to not be AIDS so it spreads and kills the individual. To be protected when having sex and not sharing any form of toiletries with others is the way to prevent and keep this deadly virus at bay.

Long Essay on AIDS

This is the long format of an essay on HIV AIDS where its workings, causes and effects and remedies are discussed.

There are some diseases that have been borne by the living in this world which has created a ruckus in human history and the struggle to find a permanent cure still exists. AIDS is one such disease. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is the name of the disease which is also shortened as AIDS.

It has since only the 20 th century affected the human race and many people lost their lives, more than 20 million of them. The virus that aids in the transmission of this disease is Human Immunodeficiency Virus or also called HIV. Due to the same property of immunodeficiency, it is referred to as HIV/AIDS.

Since it affects the immune system severely, the cells and the workings of it in our body must be clearly understood. The immune system’s role in the body is that of a soldier wherein it identifies any sort of anomalies that enters or infiltrates the body and prepares antibodies against it. And kills them in order to prevent infection that has the probability of causing a harmful disease.

Since the cells of the immune system have already created the antibodies, the cell memory is activated when the entry occurs again and the immune system fights and destroys such foreign and harmful matter.

What Happens when HIV Enters the Body?

When a person is infected with the Human immunodeficiency virus, it directly attacks the immune system making the cells weak and incapable of creating antibodies for this particular virus. As they become weak their function to perform the task of defending against other microorganism entrants is also weakened.

When the fighter in our bodies becomes weak, we are more likely to fall ill. The illness can be a simple flu or an allergy and our body cannot fight any further. The symptoms once infected will start to appear within the first two weeks. The symptoms are very flu-like for instance, one will be more tired than usual and fatigue will be more frequent and regular. Other symptoms include sore throat and fever. The risk of opportunistic infections like tuberculosis and herpes also increases. Some people however remain asymptomatic even for longer periods after being infected with the virus.

Cause of HIV/AIDS

The main and only cause of this dreadful disease is the contact through blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids and breast milk. The semen and vaginal fluids are transferred through sex and rectal fluids through anal sex. When people have multiple partners, and they have unprotected sex the transmission is highly likely. The contact through blood can also be via the unhygienic practice of sharing an infected person’s razors, blades. Even unsterilized syringes while taking drugs or even a tattoo parlor where they use unsterilized machines on the body can transmit the virus easily. The transmission means are endless so one must proceed with utmost caution to keep themselves safe either way.

What is the Life Expectancy for the Patients Carrying HIV or AIDs with Them?

Many factors can affect the life expectancy of people living with HIV. Depending on these factors there are many differences in the outcomes between people, and other factors. The factors on which life expectancy depend are:

Access to effective HIV treatment and quality health care.

Start HIV treatment as soon as possible after HIV infection, before your CD4 cell count drops to a low level. The sooner you are diagnosed and start HIV treatment, the better your long-term chances are.

Having serious HIV-related illnesses in the past. This may occur before HIV is diagnosed and/or before HIV treatment is started. These diseases have a detrimental effect on life expectancy.

Results one year after starting HIV treatment. Studies show that life expectancy is better for people who respond well within a year of starting treatment than people who do not respond. In particular, people with a CD4 count of at least 350 and an undetectable viral load during the year have a much better chance long-term.

Year of Diagnosis - HIV treatment and medical care have improved over the years. People who have been diagnosed in recent years are expected to live longer than people who were diagnosed long ago.

Heart diseases, liver diseases, cancer and other health conditions are more likely to be the cause of death than HIV or AIDs.

Injecting drug use - Life expectancy is short for people with HIV who inject drugs, due to drug overdose and viral infections.

Social and Economic Conditions - there are significant differences in life expectancy depending on where you grew up, your income, education, social status and more.

Gender – Men are supposed to live for a shorter period of time than women.

Genetics - you may have certain conditions if close relatives have.

Mental and Emotional Well-being - high levels of stress are associated with reduced life expectancy.

Lifestyle - longevity for people who eat a balanced diet, are physically active, maintain a healthy weight, avoid alcohol abuse or use drugs, and stay in touch with the community. Avoiding smoking is very important in life.

There are a few myths surrounding this disease. It is believed earlier that AIDS can spread even through contact or touch without any exchange of fluids. Like through a hug or just by being near the infected person. That myth has been debunked and it is absolutely untrue. One can freely hug an AIDS patient without worry.

The other one was when kissing, there is an exchange of saliva which is also a fluid and AIDS can spread through kissing, which also proved to be untrue. And HIV always means AIDS that is fatal was another rumor or myth, and this myth is proven wrong where many people have lived longer with HIV by medication and taking care of their health.

There is no permanent cure yet for treating HIV/AIDS, so it is our responsibility to look out for ourselves. The way one can first prevent themselves from being infected is by getting vaccinated. It is important to get tested in your adult life if you have multiple sexual partners and also get your partner tested for the same. The other way is being monogamous. The most used form of prevention is having protected and safe sex and using condoms that creates a barrier for transmission. Do check for sterilized needles in case you decide to get a tattoo or injected.  Lessen the use of alcohol and drugs as that is anyway weakening and altering the immune system.

According to the estimates of the Indian government  2.40 million Indians are living with HIV wherein, the infected ones fall in the age group of 15-49, and 39 %of them that is 9,30,00 of them are women. The numbers are alarming and the rate of increase is not slowing down anytime soon. We as a country must break the traditions and conversations about sex should be open and safe. It is high time we lose our lives to this disease which can be prevented.

FAQs on Essay on AIDS

1. Is AIDS an Autoimmune Disease?

In the early stages of HIV infection that leads to AIDS, the immune system only weakens so it is not an auto-immune disease. But during the later and final stages, the workings of the immune system are similar to that of an auto-immune system where it works against itself. And in such cases, the body of the individual is susceptible to many more diseases. AIDS, a disease found in immune deficiency disorder, is caused by HIV and weakens the human immune system. Autoimmune diseases, on the other hand, are where the immune system turns, attacking healthy cells.

2. Does one die from HIV Infection?

The HIV infection results in many symptoms that make the body weaker day by day. But some do not even suffer those symptoms and they may live longer than the ones showing severe symptoms. In any case, it is important to take medications that are prescribed to reduce the severity of symptoms and live a little longer. The best way is to keep healthy and lead an active lifestyle as much as possible. Although the death toll from AIDS has dropped dramatically around the world, this situation increases the risk of contracting a fatal disease — potentially leading to death. No treatment or cure is present for HIV.

3. What method was adopted by the hospitals to report HIV or AIDs cases?

The doctors took the active initiative for the reporting and diagnosis of HIV or AIDs cases all over the world. The methods that all the French hospital wards were known for, for their role in controlling HIV infection, were asked to report the 2000 deaths among HIV-positive adults. The causes of death were recorded using a standard questionnaire. The Mortality 2000 study was launched to explain the distribution of the leading causes of death of HIV-positive people at the national level in France in the year 2000.

4. What is the way of determining the root cause of death in AIDs patients?

Following the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) to death, the information contained in the questionnaire was used to determine the single cause of death. The causes of AIDS were categorized as one cause of death, followed by definitions of AIDS-related diseases. If a standard questionnaire was lost, summarized quarter notices were used to determine the underlying cause of death, if possible. Determination of the AIDs cases was set to the most important things in the list, which was done from the abstracted quarterly notifications from the questionnaires.

5. Is Vedantu a reliable website for knowing about AIDs disease?

Vedantu is the most reliable website for referring to information about AIDs disease. Being one of the most dangerous diseases in the world with no proper treatment or cure, the world's physicians are still under pressure to decipher the way to save a person from this disease. The Vedantu website contains authentic or updated information about this disease and thus the readers and viewers can rely on this source of information for perfect knowledge about the disease and its prevention also.

HIV and AIDS Campaign Guide

What is in this guide Why should organisations address the issue of HIV and AIDS Important things to know about HIV and AIDS How to run an HIV and AIDS campaign Aims of the campaign Target Slogans and message Campaign methods Public education Awareness raising Promoting openness about AIDS and people living with AIDS Support and care for people living with AIDS Community care for orphans Motivating others to get involved

Why should organisations address the issue of HIV and AIDS

HIV and AIDS is one of the biggest challenges we face as a country. The rate of infection is rapidly increasing and more and more people are getting ill and dying from AIDS. Of all the people living with AIDS in the world, it is estimated that 6 out of every 10 men, 8 out of every 10 women and 9 out of every 10 children live in Sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa has one of the fastest growing rates of infection in the world. Individuals, families and communities are badly affected by the epidemic. The burden of care falls on the families and children of those who are ill. Often they have already lost a breadwinner and the meagre resources they have left are not enough to provide care for the ill person and food for the family. Children who are orphaned are often deprived not only of parental care, but also of financial support. Many of them leave school and have no hope of ever getting a decent education or job. These children who grow up without any support or guidance from adults may become our biggest problem in the future. Most of the people who are dying are between the ages of 20 and 45 - an age when most people are workers and parents. This has serious consequences for our economy and the development of the country. Our welfare system may not be able to cope with the number of orphans who need grants. Our health system is already strained to provide basic health care for all diseases and in parts of KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng almost half of hospital beds are taken by people who are ill from AIDS. AIDS can affect anyone. But it is clear that it is spreading faster to people who live in poverty and lack access to education, basic health services, nutrition and clean water. Young people and women are the most vulnerable. Women are often powerless to insist on safe sex and easily become infected by HIV positive partners. When people have other diseases like sexually transmitted diseases, TB or malaria they are also more likely to contract and die from AIDS. Although AIDS has become very common it is still surrounded by silence. People are ashamed to speak about being infected and many see it as a scandal when it happens in their families. People living with AIDS are exposed to daily prejudice born out of ignorance and fear. We cannot tackle this epidemic unless we can break the silence and remove the stigma [shame] that surrounds it. As leaders in our communities we have to provide leadership on how to deal with AIDS. The fight against AIDS has to happen on two main fronts - prevention and care. To prevent the spread of AIDS we have to educate people on how to prevent infection. We also have to change the social attitudes that make women vulnerable because they cannot refuse unsafe sex from a partner and the attitudes among men that lead to woman abuse and rape. Poverty alleviation and development are also important programmes that will limit the spread of AIDS. To deal with the results of the disease and the social problems it creates, we have to make sure that people living with AIDS get care and support to help them live longer and healthier lives. We also have to make sure that those who are dying are properly looked after. For the children who are left orphaned we have to find ways of looking after them so that they do not become hopeless and turn to crime or live on the streets because of poverty. AIDS can reverse the gains we have made in our struggle to build a better life for our people. Government cannot fight this battle alone. Government can provide health and welfare services, development programmes and information. Organisations on the ground have to provide the type of leadership and direction that will lead to real change in people's attitudes and behaviour. It is also the responsibility of every individual to support the fight against AIDS. The rest of this guide gives details of what we can do.

Important things to know about HIV and AIDS

AIDS affects millions of South Africans. It is estimated that more than 4 million South Africans are HIV positive and about 1 000 people die every day. Infection rates differ from region to region and in rural KwaZulu-Natal it may be over 25% in some areas - one in every four adults. What is AIDS and HIV AIDS means Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is a disease that destroys your ability to fight other infections through your immune system. You get AIDS from a virus called HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus. People who get HIV can stay healthy for many years and most infected people do not even know that they are HIV positive. There are no visible signs to show that a person is infected. They can pass the disease on to other people by having unprotected sex with them. The second phase of the disease is when you get AIDS and start becoming ill more easily. AIDS itself does not kill people - they usually die from other infections like flu, diarrhoea, pneumonia or TB. Poor people who are not well nourished and live in bad conditions, tend to become ill and die much sooner than others. Some of the symptoms of a person living with AIDS could be losing weight very quickly and getting ill often with things like flu or pneumonia or stomach problems. How do you get AIDS There are only three ways to get AIDS: unprotected sex, contact with infected blood or body fluids and mother to baby transmission. Unprotected sex: This is the most common way that people get AIDS. If you have sex with an HIV positive person and there is direct contact between the penis and vagina or anus, you can easily get infected. The virus lives in the fluids inside the penis and vagina and can easily enter your bloodstream. Using condoms properly is the only protection against this kind of infection.   Contact with infected blood. If you have an open wound and it comes into contact with the blood of an HIV positive person, you can get infected. This contact could be through using the same needles for drugs or unsafe instruments used for circumcision. You can also get it from blood transfusions if the blood is contaminated [in SA all blood is screened]. Medical workers can get it from accidentally pricking themselves with needles they have used to inject HIV positive people.   Mother to baby transmission. HIV positive mothers can pass the infection to their babies, although this does not happen in all cases. Transmission can happen during pregnancy, or childbirth because of the contact with blood, or during breast feeding. You cannot get AIDS from kissing someone on the lips, hugging, sharing food and drink or using the same bath or toilet as someone who is HIV positive. [Deep kissing or French kissing can pass on HIV if you have sores in your mouth] Anyone can get AIDS, but some people are more vulnerable because they do not have the power to say no to unprotected sex or because of their risky lifestyles. The groups who are most vulnerable and have the highest infection rates are: Young women between 15 - 30 years old Sexually active men who have more than one partner, with young men more common Migrant and mine workers Transport workers Sex workers Drug users who use needles People who practice anal sex Young women are most vulnerable because they often powerless to say no to unprotected sex with an HIV positive partner. They are also the most common victims of rape and sexual abuse. Young girls who are virgins are also at risk because of the myth that a person can be cured of AIDS by having sex with a virgin. This is total rubbish and is just an excuse for child abuse. The other groups are vulnerable because many of them have a number of different sexual partners and they do not always practice safe sex. Drug users may share needles without sterilising them first. Anal sex is more dangerous because the anus has no natural lubrication and this often results in injuries during sex. Condoms are also not designed to be strong enough for anal sex. Social attitudes The biggest problem in fighting AIDS is breaking the silence that surrounds the epidemic. Although thousands of people are ill or dying, it is not spoken about and families often hide the fact that their relatives had AIDS. People still feel that it is something that happens to others and not to their families. People who are infected fear rejection and discrimination from those around them and try to hide their illness. Although testing is available, only about one in ten people who are HIV positive know it. This means that they can carry on infecting others without knowing it. There are myths around AIDS and they lead to people seeing it as a scandal that should be kept secret. Many people see those with AIDS as people who were promiscuous or homosexual. AIDS is almost seen as a plague that you can catch just from being with someone who is HIV positive. In some communities people with AIDS have been chased out or attacked. In countries where the infection rate has gone down, this only happened after so many people became ill that people could no longer pretend it was not happening and everyone started fearing that they will be next. We cannot afford to wait that long and must find ways of bringing the epidemic into the open now. The challenge for us is to make people fear getting the disease without them turning against those who are already HIV positive. This means that we have to make it easier for people to be open, to go for tests and to seek care. We have to treat it as an illness and not a scandal that has to be kept secret. We have to create an environment where communities become more caring towards people living with AIDS and orphans and we all take responsibility for education around prevention. How do you treat AIDS You can find out whether you are HIV positive by having a free blood test at any clinic or hospital. The results will only be given to you. If you are positive you should tell your sexual partners so that they can also be tested and you should only practice safe sex. There is no cure for AIDS. People can live with AIDS for many years if they get proper care. Healthy eating, exercise, a clean environment and a positive mental attitude can make a big difference. [See a healthy diet for people living with AIDS]. There are also many medicines that can help to fight the infections that easily kill people with AIDS. Many of them are available at clinics and the government is working to get more affordable medicines to people who need them. In first world countries people are treated with antiretroviral drugs that strengthen their immune system and slow down the virus. These drugs cannot cure you, but sometimes help people live healthy lives for longer. These drugs can be very dangerous if they are not properly taken and they also cost thousands of Rands per month for each patient. If you can afford to take drugs like AZT you also need to go for regular tests to check your white blood cells so that you can get the correct dosage of the drugs. These testes can only be done in laboratories and also cost a lot of money. Our health system cannot presently afford to give these drugs to all people and also does not have the infrastructure to monitor their use. Mother to child infection can be limited in some cases by giving the mother anti-retroviral drugs. The Department of Health is doing research programmes in all provinces with these drugs, but they have not yet been approved as safe for general use. The rights of people living with AIDS People with HIV and AIDS in South Africa are protected by our Bill Of Rights and have the same rights which protects all citizens. There can be no discrimination against anyone who has HIV and AIDS. They have the right to medical treatment and care from our health and welfare services. Children with HIV are allowed to attend any school. No one can be fired from a job just because they are HIV positive No one can be forced to have an HIV test at work or before getting a job. Test results cannot be shown to anyone else without the permission of the person who had the test. Pregnant women with HIV have the right to make a choice about their pregnancy. Insurance companies can insist on people being tested for HIV and may refuse life insurance. But many insurance companies do have special policies for people who are HIV positive.

GOVERNMENTS FIVE YEAR STRATEGY ON AIDS We included this summary of the government's strategy on HIV and AIDS to help you understand how government plans to fight this epidemic. INTRODUCTION The government has drawn up a strategy to fight AIDS that seeks to unite all sectors in a common programme. It is important to understand this strategy and to see where our campaign can support and deepen the government plan. The national health department is the main driver of a strategic plan to coordinate the fight against AIDS by the whole country. Various government departments and sectors were consulted in the drawing up of this plan. These include traditional healers, business and religious organisations. The priority areas in this plan are: Prevention; Treatment, care and support; Legal and human rights; Monitoring, research and evaluation WHAT FACTORS LEAD TO THE SPREAD OF AIDS Unprotected sex and having many sexual partners are the main reasons for the spread of the disease. In South Africa, the underlying causes of the rapid spread of AIDS include social and economic factors such as poverty, lack of access to health and social services, migrant labour, sex workers, the low status of women, illiteracy, lack of formal education, stigma and discrimination. The high rate of rape also exposes women to HIV. The national plan addresses all these issues. Other health conditions which are linked to the HIV and AIDS epidemic are: TB - which is the most frequent cause of death of people living with HIV; STD's - sexually transmitted diseases are a health problem and often lead to HIV infection WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED Since 1994, government has initiated plans to combat the AIDS epidemic. These include: Placing high profile political leadership at the forefront of the fight against AIDS Increasing resources and building capacity at district level to manage, organise and implement the HIV and AIDS/STD programme Training of AIDS coordinators in each province Providing HIV and AIDS lifeskills course for schools Establishing the South African AIDS vaccine initiative to develop a preventative, affordable vaccine by 2005. Establishing the National AIDS Council, chaired by the Deputy President which advises government on all aspects related to HIV and AIDS. Provincial AIDS councils have also been set up. Partnership against AIDS launched by President Mbeki in 1998. There are also a number of weaknesses related to capacity, resources and lack of coordination in what was done so far and the plan tries to address these.

GOALS OF THIS PLAN

• Reduce the number of new HIV infections (especially among youth) and
• Reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS on individuals, families and communities

KEY STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE GOALS

The main strategies that will be used are:

• A public awareness drive to influence behaviour change and encourage openness;
• Increase access to voluntary HIV testing and counselling;
• Promote increased condom use to reduce the spread of STD and HIV infections;
• Improve the treatment of people living with AIDS

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The strategy is guided be a set of principles:

• Full participation in all strategies by people living with AIDS and community involvement in prevention and care.
• Non- discrimination and protection of rights of HIV infected people.
• Sensitivity to the culture, language and social circumstances of people
• Government is responsible for providing education, care and welfare for all people
• Government and civil society must be involved in the fight against AIDS.

STRATEGIES FOR FOUR PRIORITY AREAS

Reduce the rate of STDs Promote safer sex and change sexual behaviour Reduce mother to child transmission through testing and counselling Ensure safe blood supplies Better services for people exposed to HIV infected persons through contact with blood or by sexual assault Increase access to voluntary HIV testing and counselling services such as at workplaces.

TREATMENT, CARE AND SUPPORT

Improve treatment, care and support for people living with AIDS in hospitals, clinics and by doctors. Increase access to affordable medicines and treatment. Provide better care and support services in the communities. Provide resources for home care and address stigma in communities. Develop and implement programmes to support children and orphans affected by AIDS.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Research the development of an AIDS vaccine by 2005 Research on anti- retroviral drugs and reducing mother to child transmission. Research on other forms of treatment including traditional medicines Regular monitoring of AIDS programme

HUMAN RIGHTS

Create a culture of openness and acceptance around HIV and AIDS and STDs Ensure that the rights of people living with AIDS are protected. Develop mechanisms to assist people living with AIDS to enforce their rights.

This plan can only succeed if all sectors of society join in the partnership to win the fight against HIV and AIDS. The underlying causes like poverty also need to be addressed. This plan will be assessed and updated.

How to run an HIV and AIDS campaign

To run an effective campaign you have to have a STATEGY that involves the following: Aims of the campaign - what are the main things you want to achieve with the campaign Target - who are you trying to win over, reach or involve in each part of the campaign Slogan and message - what slogan will be used to give the campaign an identity and what are the main message themes you will try to get across to people Campaign methods - what are the best methods to implement your campaign

• Aims and tasks of an HIV and AIDS campaign

The main aims of tan HIV and AIDS campaign should be: To reduce the rate of infection and To provide care and support for people living with AIDS and their families. Achieving these aims will take years and we cannot run this campaign in a few months with lots of publicity and little follow-up. Organisations have to do ongoing work on a long-term campaign. Government concentrates on education, prevention, treatment, care and research into vaccines. Organisations that lead in our society can: Educate people about preventing HIV infection through changing their sexual behaviour Raise awareness to create more openness about the disease and to make communities more supportive of people living with AIDS Develop community care projects for people living with AIDS and AIDS orphans. Campaign tasks: Organisations with a national leadership should strategise about how their leaders can help to change public attitudes. This can involve things like: Wearing the red ribbon Using all opportunities to show support for the campaign Acting as role models for how to treat people living with AIDS Encouraging testing and openness  Campaign action at local level can include the following five key things: Running a broad public education campaign about prevention of AIDS, non-discrimination and care for people living with AIDS, that aims to reach as many people as possible Organising local awareness raising events and campaigns to change sexual behaviour and attitudes to people with AIDS Creating openness about the disease by speaking about it, publicly supporting people who are open and encouraging voluntary testing Organising support for people with AIDS by mobilising volunteers into community care projects Organising community support and care for AIDS orphans

The AIDS campaign should reach every person in our community in some way, but we should also target specific sectors to make sure different parts of the campaign are effective. For the education and prevention part of the campaign we must ask: who is most likely to get AIDS and/or to spread the virus? Our actions should target the following vulnerable groups: Sexually active youth Migrant and transport workers Sex workers Women who are in relationships with HIV positive men and who are powerless to insist on safe sex. Men who are HIV positive Drug users who use needles For the parts of our campaign that creates awareness and openness we should ask: who can most influence people's attitudes? We should try and involve people like: The local mayor Ward councillors MPs and MPLs Our local and regional leadership Church leaders Traditional leaders Sport and cultural stars Popular business people Community organisations leaders Shop stewards Teachers Community radio DJs and reporters For the support and community care part of our campaign we should ask: who will benefit most from care and support and who can we draw in to help? Those that will benefit most are: People who are HIV positive and need information, care and support People who are sick with AIDS and need home care Children whose parents are dying or have died of AIDS Those whom we can draw in to help could be: Our own structures and members Community welfare organisations Religious groups Women's groups Local business Schools Individual volunteers for home care or foster care projects We would also have to work closely with government health and welfare services and workers, since they will work with and support community care initiatives.

• Message and slogan

A very important part of your strategy is the broad message you want to communicate and the slogan that sums it up. "Message themes" are the ideas we try to get across in everything we say and do. A campaign message is usually only a few sentences long, but it is used as the basis for all speeches, pamphlets, radio interviews, etc. A campaign will have much more impact if the message is clear and if everyone involved keeps saying the same things. If a campaign is both national and local it is important to create a campaign identity by using a uniform slogan and message. Here are some examples: The Treatment Action Campaign encourages people to wear T-shirts with the slogan "HIV positive". This helps to bring AIDS awareness out to the public. The slogan of the ANC-lead HIV and AIDS campaign is: "Together we can" and different endings can be added to this slogan. For example ".. prevent the spread of AIDS" or ".. care for orphans." The Love Life campaign has many different slogans that appeal to young people. Your organisation should decide what your main messages are. Here are some examples: Message on the importance of the struggle against AIDS: All of us are affected when half the children in this country may never grow up, when a quarter of our workforce may die in the next decade, when millions of children without parents, basic care or education have to look after themselves. AIDS is our problem. Messages for prevention: ABC - Abstain, Be faithful or Condomise It is your responsibility to get tested, and if you are HIV positive, not to pass on the disease to your partners. Respect your partner enough to only have safe sex Real men can make the difference - Stop abuse and respect your partner enough to only have safe sex There is no cure yet for AIDS but it can be prevented You can only get AIDS from unsafe sex or from mixing your blood with the blood of someone who is HIV positive [ blood transfusion, using same needles for injections, mother to child during birth process] Messages to promote openness, support and care and end discrimination While we are hiding this disease we will not be able to fight it. We must break the silence and shame that surrounds AIDS and deal with it openly and honestly AIDS is not an individual problem - it is so widespread that it affects all of us. All of us have a duty to join the struggle against AIDS. Let's start talking and bring AIDS into the open so we can deal with it. Talk to your children. Speak out if you or your loved ones are affected. Let's break the silence and stand by those who are suffering. People living with AIDS need our support and care - they are no different from people with any other illness, why treat them differently. No-one should be blamed if they get the disease. It can happen to any of us. You cannot get AIDS from someone by sharing cups, plates, facilities or toilets with them. You can touch, hug or kiss someone with AIDS without fear. Each organisation could add their own message themes, but it is important that we all try to reinforce the ones above. We should avoid situations where the public gets confused because organisations have totally conflicting messages.

• Campaign methods

Campaign methods should match the aims and main tasks of the campaign. We will look at six main areas of campaign action and give some tips for methods that can be used. The areas are: Public Education Awareness raising Openness about AIDS and people living with AIDS Care for people who are sick with AIDS Care for orphans Motivating other people to get involved

Public education

Public education should aim to get to as many people as possible to educate them about prevention and issues like non-discrimination and support for people living with AIDS. Always remember to select your target groups carefully and to stick to the message themes. Here are some ideas: Speeches - ask schools, churches, organisations and workplaces in your area if you can send a speaker to come and talk about HIV and AIDS. Speeches/talks should be about 30 minutes long and you should leave lots of time for questions. Use the information on page 1,2 and 3 as the basis for a speech. Also tell people what their rights are and where they can go for help. Make sure to train all your speakers so that they understand the issues, the message themes and can answer difficult questions.   Workshops - a workshop can be a few hours long and is a good way to educate people. Workshops give people a chance to discuss issues in more detail. [See workshop outline in box below]   Plays and songs - culture can be a very effective way of getting your message across to people who do not want to sit in meetings or workshops. Involve cultural groups in developing education programmes   Forums/community meetings - forums are meetings of interested people from your community or from a specific target group, where people come together to discuss an issue. Try to involve sympathetic community leaders like politicians, councillors, religious leaders and health workers. The leaders should be there to listen and to give leadership - a forum is meant to be a chance for people to come and talk about their problems. Speakers should make only a very short introductory speech that covers the main issues/problems and then ask for the participants to give their experiences and their views about what should be done. Leaders can sum up the way forward at the end of a forum.   Door-to-door - do house visits to go and talk to people about AIDS   Pamphlets - pamphlets are a good way of spreading information about HIV and AIDS as well as services offered by organisations. The Department of Health has many simple pamphlets you can use. If you write your own, keep pamphlets short and simple.   Radio/newspapers - talk to local community and regional radio as well as newspapers about doing stories that will educate people about prevention, non-discrimination and care. Ask for space to run a talk show or advice column on HIV and AIDS. PUBLIC EDUCATION WORKSHOP OUTLINE - 2 hours 1. Do you know anyone? Questions to audience 5 minutes [Ask the audience to put up their hands if they know anyone they think died of AIDS. Most people will put up their hands. Then ask them whether it was publicly admitted at the funeral, that the person had AIDS. Few will put up their hands. Use this to lead to next question] 2. Why is there a silence around AIDS? Buzz groups 15 minutes [ Ask people to discuss this question with two people next to them for five minutes. Then get each group to make one point only until all points are out. Add your own from the manual if they leave some out.] 3. Facts about AIDS and local services Input Questions 20 minutes 10 minutes [ Use the introduction and Part 1 of the manual to do an input on AIDS. Add any local information on services that you can find. Allow for questions] 4. What can we do? Group discussion Reportback + discussion 30 minutes 20 minutes [ Break people into groups of 5-10 and ask them to discuss these two questions: What can we do to protect ourselves against infection? What can we do to help people living with AIDS and orphans in our community? After 30 minutes let each group make a brief report. Add in some of the things that are being done locally and ask people to join any projects that exist.] 5. Personal pledges Individual task 15 minutes [Ask people to each think of a pledge (promise) they can make about what they will change in their attitudes or behaviour after this workshop. Give them a few minutes and then go around the room and let each person speak. If you are recruiting volunteers - have forms for people to sign up] 6. Close and thank people

Awareness raising

Awareness campaigns are used to make issues visible and to change public attitudes. They should aim to get publicity and to directly reach thousands of people. Be sensitive in the way you campaign. People are easily turned away by campaigns that are too aggressive or negative. Here are some methods you could use: Posters/pamphlets/graffiti - use posters and pamphlets to raise the issues or give people information. Get them from other organisations or make your own. Get permission from the council to paint an educational mural in a public place.   Marches, events and culture - use marches, cultural events and parties to mobilise community support. Use "Breaking the silence" events where people living with AIDS come to talk about their experiences, or plays and songs that show the reality of HIV and AIDS.   Protests - support the campaign against drug companies that do not make medicines available cheaply to developing countries. Protest against any employer or body that discriminates against people living with AIDS.   Prayer meetings, funerals and other community events - Call special prayer meetings around AIDS. Get traditional leaders to call their subjects together to discuss AIDS. Use funerals of people who died of AIDS as an opportunity to raise awareness - be sensitive to the family's wishes.   Loudhailers, information tables, etc - use loudhailers to talk in taxi ranks or in train carriages, set up information tables at busy places.   Radio/newspapers - ask local media to raise awareness through phone-ins on radio, or interviewing people living with AIDS and your organisations. Get newspapers to publicise events and write letters to the letters page. Issue press statements and invite reporters to events.

Openness about AIDS and people living with AIDS

We have to actively promote openness about AIDS and a more supportive environment for people living with AIDS. Unless we bring the disease into the open we cannot deal with it effectively. If we cannot break the silence in our own ranks we cannot expect society to do so. As organisations we can: Encourage and support people living with AIDS to go public about their status Ask people living with AIDS to sit on platforms and speak at meetings with our leaders Encourage testing by organising testing drives and asking those leaders who are willing to go public about their results Create role models for how to cope with AIDS, by encouraging our leaders and other influential people who are HIV positive to reveal their status and to help campaign and raise awareness.

Support and care for people living with AIDS.

An important focus in a campaign should be to provide better support and care for people living with AIDS. Many people who are HIV positive can lead long and productive lives if they look after their health. The immune system is weakened by the virus and many people die from ordinary illnesses like flu because their bodies are too weak to fight the illness. Emotional and mental health are also important. People living with AIDS need support from their communities and from each other. As organisations we can: Openly organise support and care so that HIV and AIDS becomes a community issue and we help to destroy the secrecy and shame that many people live with. Educate people with HIV and AIDS about healthy eating [see box below] Start vegetable garden projects to help provide the right food types to people who cannot afford them Make sure our local health services have supplies of the cheap medicines that the government is making available to fight the common infections that easily kill people with AIDS Help organise projects, support or discussion groups where people living with AIDS can meet and talk to each other Educate people living with AIDS about their rights in terms of medicine, grants, employment, non-discrimination, etc. Keeping a healthy body People living with HIV or AIDS need different foods from healthy people. HIV and AIDS and the medicines people have to take can make you lose a lot of weight, feel cold all the time and get serious stomach problems. This will make you weaker and when you are weak you can more easily get serious infections. Because you easily get infections it is also very important to clean and cook food properly and to drink only clean water. Good food Drink two litres of water a day Drink sour milk, milk or yoghurt Eat beans, lentils, eggs or meat every day if you can - beans are just as good as meat if you put a tablespoon of uncooked sunflower oil with it before serving. All vegetables and fruits are very good For a healthy stomach eat raw garlic, raw carrots or dried pumpkin seeds. Eat a lot of grains and starch - maize, rice, sorghum, brown bread Bad foods Sugar is very bad for the immune system and causes stomach problems Fried foods and cooked oils stop the stomach from being able to digest food Spicy food can also cause stomach upsets - do not eat too much Do: Keep yourself occupied and interested in things to avoid depression Try to exercise without straining yourself Get enough sleep and rest Find people you can talk to about your feelings Do not: Smoke, drink or use addictive drugs Go on diet or lose too much weight People who are bedridden For those people who are seriously ill we must try to mobilise volunteers to help with community care projects. Many people living with AIDS become weak and bedridden. There is not enough space for all of them to be looked after in hospitals and most people are cared for by their families. In many cases the sick person was a breadwinner and is a parent. Their children often become the main carers and they themselves need support. Community care projects have been set up in many parts of Africa. This is how they work: Most people sick with AIDS are cared for by someone at home - often an old woman or a child. The patients as well as the care -givers are visited at home and given some training and support by volunteers. They also learn basic things to protect themselves - like not to touch blood or body fluids of the sick person without covering their hands in plastic bags.   Volunteers are trained to give basic advice, health care and support to a cluster of people who are sick at home and their care- givers. They assist people to link with health and welfare services and help them to get access to medicine and disability or child grants. Volunteers do some health care and counselling work through home visits to people who are no longer able to get to clinics. They educate and help families to cope and identify children who need support and care.   Volunteers are usually coordinated by welfare organisations that work with, and under the supervision of, the government health and welfare services in the area. This makes it easier to get help for people who need to go to hospital or to get a pension or grant. Community care projects work best if they are joint projects coordinated between health and welfare services and community organisations. They must be well coordinated and managed since many people will depend on them for basic care.  Local municipalities can also play a big role in mobilising and supporting community care projects. As organisations we can mobilise volunteers to work with the department of health, local welfare organisations and churches. Volunteers will have to be trained and could get some basic qualifications from training courses. In some areas unemployed school-leavers have been targeted as volunteers.

Community care for AIDS orphans

In many communities there are already projects to help care for orphans. They are not reaching everyone and especially in poor rural areas little is being done. AIDS orphans can access government services and financial support, but many do not know how. We cannot build enough orphanages to look after everyone and many experts believe that community care is much better for children. Community care can take a number of forms: Care by relatives - this is the most common and often the best form of care since children stay with people they know. Relatives who look after orphans can access government support grants if they are poor.   Foster care - where individual children are placed worth families and looked after. The families can usually get the government support grants to help with costs. Many welfare societies can help with this.   Group foster parents - a group of orphans are housed in one place and looked after by a foster parent. Examples are farmers building a house for all the orphans on the farm and employing an adult to look after them, so they can stay in their community.   Child headed families - an older child looks after brothers and sisters and they stay in the family home.   Community childcare committees - volunteers help children who live alone by becoming part-time parents and providing some support. None of these are easy to organise - you need help from the Department of Social Services or organisations like Child Welfare Society. Foster parents should get some training and should be monitored so that they do not just do it for the money. Grants for orphans can only be accessed if the child has a birth certificate and if the parent/s deaths are registered. Organisations could: Do an audit of the number of AIDS orphans in the area - work with local municipalities, schools, traditional leaders and health and welfare services. Find out what projects or services are available in your area and make sure orphans are put in touch with them Recruit volunteers to help with community care programmes Run an awareness campaign to encourage people to register births and deaths Visit orphans and make sure they are in school and being looked after by someone Identify children in need and try to organise care for them

Motivating other people to get involved

Use this table when you are talking to any of the sectors listed here. It will give you some ideas about what you can ask them to do. Sector Public education/ awareness raising/ openness Community care for people living with AIDS or orphans Community organisations Hold discussion and education meetings around AIDS, and what we can do.Organise local campaigns and eventsCreate a culture of support for people living with AIDS. Recruit volunteers for community care programmesWork with welfare and health servicesPressurise municipality to get involved Local welfare organisations and NGOs Give talks and workshops at schools, churches and organisational or community meetings.Monitor health, welfare and other services and lobby for improvements, eg. For health services to work with volunteer care givers. Organise care projects for people living with AIDS and orphansTrain care volunteersTrain foster parentsSupport child headed households Trade unions Educate members and encourage openness and testing. Engage employers in programmes. Raise awareness and work to change men's attitudes Create positive role models Protect rights of workers living with AIDS Pressurise workplaces to develop policies Push for treatment and support programmes in workplaces Local municipalities and councillors Bring together all stakeholders to develop a local plan for dealing with AIDS Support education programmes or initiate them Do research about needs, identify support services and strengthen them. Politicians take the lead to create positive role models and openness. Business Get own house in order with good education programmes, policies and services. Support community programmes Practice non-discrimination in employment Support sick employees or orphans from deceased employees Health Workers Run education programmes in community and clinics, on prevention, treatment, testing and care Openly discuss AIDS with all patients and encourage testing. Counselling for positive people Training and coordination of home care volunteers Compassionate and good treatment for patients Social workers Community education programmes Rights education about laws and grants Counsel clients who are positive Help set up community care projects Train and monitor volunteers and foster parents Help clients access grants Student organisations Education and awareness programmes Create role models Encourage openness and testing Set up counselling services Recruit students to assist as volunteers in community care projects Teachers Life skills training in classes. Encourage openness and try to change attitudes of boys towards girls Identify families in need Provide counselling and support Recruit volunteers to provide care for orphans Cultural and sport clubs Cultural events like plays and songs against AIDS. Sports events focus on AIDS awareness. Hold workshops and invite speakers Support people who are positive Raise funds and recruit volunteers Religious leaders Promote openness and hold workshops Remove stigma of "sin" Teach responsible behaviour Support role models and promote testing Set up counselling and care projects for people with AIDS and orphans AIDS HELPLINE NUMBER 0800 012 322         - For information, advice and contacts with services in your area If you have comments on how we can improve this guide, fax them to: ETU at 021 434 5550, or eMail us at [email protected]

This material may not be used for profit without permission from ETU

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HIV.gov’s Guide to Planning Awareness Day Activities

The following guide can help you plan for Awareness Day events, activities, and outreach.

Considerations as You Start

Before you begin your event planning, here are a few things to consider:

How does the Awareness Day fit into your overall mission? Awareness Day events can require a significant amount of effort (such as staff time and resources). It is important to be able to describe specifically how the Awareness Day aligns with your organization’s mission and what outcomes you can achieve from an event. Whether or not your organization decides to host an event, it is useful to consider partnering with other HIV organizations and like-minded organizations beyond the HIV community.

When should you host an event vs. support another organization’s event? You may want to host your own event if:

• You are the lead organization for the Awareness Day.
• The topic is a central part of your organization’s primary mission.
• Your organization has subject-matter experts who can speak knowledgeably about the topic.
• Your organization has existing outreach communication channels that you can leverage during the event.

You may rather support another organization’s event if:

• The topic is not a central part of your organization’s mission.
• Your organization does not have subject-matter experts who can speak knowledgeably about the topic.
• Your organization does not have the fiscal resources or actively use outreach communication channels that you can leverage during the event.
• Your communication plan requires focusing on other activities and messages during the period you would need to be planning or hosting an event.

What does success look like? Defining success before an event is an important way to assess your outcomes. Some examples of success measures include:

• Number of HIV tests administered
• Increased patient visits (e.g., patient appointments made)
• Increased visibility for your organization (e.g., social media metrics, website metrics)
• Strengthened partner relationships (e.g., new partnerships formed, number and depth of partner collaborations)

What resources are available to help you achieve success? These resources can include both internal resources and those available through partnerships. Examples:

• Email lists/newsletters
• Social media channels
• Traditional media contacts
• Graphics production
• Video production
• Social media expertise
• Experience/expertise with event planning and evaluation
• Notable individuals/spokespersons; board and consumer advisory board members
• Staff, volunteers, and interns engaged in past events and special projects
• Fiscal resources
• Toolkit from the national lead organization(s) for the Awareness Day. See each Awareness Day page on HIV.gov for links to available kits.

Planning Phase

In developing your plans for your observance activities, here are some considerations:

Planning Activities

• Attend an event
• Find a testing location
• Take an HIV test, get in care, and stay in care
• Make an appointment
• Share their stories
• Show their support for your mission and for people affected by HIV/AIDS
• Watch a video
• Read more information
• Check to see if there are similar or overlapping events around the same time, to avoid having to compete with other activities that might draw your target audience(s) away.
• Consider using the national theme and communication resources rather than reinventing the wheel.
• Public forum or town hall meeting on local impact
• Essay contest
• News conference
• Visit to a local HIV/AIDS service organization or open house
• Proclamation
• Cultural or faith-based events with speakers
• Public service announcements (PSAs) or media campaigns
• Health fair with HIV testing
• Award ceremony
• Develop a project plan with goals, success measures, roles and responsibilities, and due dates.
• Website content and graphics
• Social media content and graphics
• Email content and graphics
• Printed materials for distribution
• Partner outreach materials
• Create an editorial calendar that shows deadlines for creating and publishing all materials to keep your organization on track.
• Draft a set of key messages and get approval from your leadership or partners if necessary. These messages will include text that you and your partners can use across various channels and communication products.
• What venues are available to your organization and your partners?
• Book space and vendors early!
• What equipment do you need? Who can provide equipment and when is it available?
• Before planning an event, review CDC’s guidance for HIV testing in nonclinical settings.
• Hosting an HIV testing event may require special considerations to ensure everyone follows appropriate privacy and clinical protocols.
• If another organization is providing the testing services, you may need to book their services early and discuss clinical/privacy protocols in advance.
• If you are offering on-site HIV testing (e.g., at a health fair), how can you increase the perceived potential value to reluctant attendees?  

Partnership Activities

• HIV/AIDS service organizations
• Community-based organizations
• Local health departments
• Local colleges
• Digital/online partners
• Consider involving nontraditional partners, like universities, clubs, or businesses. Your selection of partners will depend on your existing network.
• Outreach messaging (coordinated via editorial calendar)
• Communication channels to be used
• Images, hashtags, and other event materials

Communication & Outreach Activities

• Social media
• Email (newsletters)
• In-person locations and/or pre-events
• Promotion by partner organizations
• Interviews with local media and/or bloggers
• Cross-posts of your blogs and other social media content by your partners
• Local event calendars
• Search advertising
• Social media advertising (sometimes called “campaigns” or “boosting”)

Implementation Phase

Communication and digital outreach about the Awareness Day can extend your reach to attendees, future clients, partners, and other stakeholders. Here are some communication resources that you and your partners can tap to support your event. Links to HIV.gov resources with additional information are included below, and a recent HIV.gov video provides helpful tips for social media planning.

• Twitter : chats , live tweeting, Thunderclaps
• Facebook : live streaming , personal stories
• Instagram: event photos, takeovers
• Snapchat : custom filters
• Graphics : images and pictures to be shared online and via social channels
• Videos and/or live streaming
• Infographics
• User-generated content (with hashtags)
• Press events

On the day of your event, your tasks will naturally depend on the activities you have planned and the level of partner involvement. But be ready to capture the data and metrics that measure your success!

Assessment Phase

At the end of the Awareness Day, you will still have important work to do—including assessing the impact of your activities and what that means for future events. To make the most of your time and efforts, please consider the following:

• Curate pictures, articles, and videos from the event.
• Facebook posts
• Instagram pics
• Partner quotes
• Share lessons learned with the broader planning team and your organization.

Evaluation Activities

• Evaluation begins with checking with your stakeholders before planning an event/activity. You need to know whether they are interested (or could be with the right messaging!) before you expend a lot of effort developing an event or activities. Your stakeholders may no longer respond to messaging about a specific Awareness Day or only a subgroup of your audience may be very interested.  
• Every event/activity should have an evaluation component.
• Based on the success measures you identified in your project plan, collect quantitative and qualitative data to assess your activities. Review with your partners and determine if you achieved success and whether or not you should support the Awareness Day again in this way next year.

Partnerships

• Hold a debrief discussion to develop lessons learned for the next event.
• Discuss how well your partnerships worked, what could be improved, and agree on a schedule to begin planning for the next Awareness Day.
• Devote time to recordkeeping. Collect and share the planning resources that you and your partners created and used so that no one has to start from scratch next year.
• Thank your partners and your team. Let them know about the successes!

5 Reasons why HIV/AIDS awareness is important

Thousands of people are infected and children are being orphaned because of HIV/AIDS. Not everyone knows the impact AIDS has in every community and every business or organisation.

Thousands of people are infected and children are being orphaned because of HIV/AIDS. Not everyone knows the impact AIDS has in every community and every business or organisation. According to STATS SA, an estimated 7 million South Africans are HIV positive. Almost all of us are affected by HIV and AIDS. There is really NO cure for HIV/Aids. The best we can do to prevent this disease from spreading and taking more lives, is to educate and create awareness. Knowledge is power.

According to the etu.org.za website, in 1990 the life expectancy of people living with HIV/AIDS was 60 years. This has decreased tremendously over the past few years, and now most infected people won’t even live to see 60. Statistics show mainly women between ages 18 and 40 and men between ages 30 and 50, are the ones who are mostly infected with this disease. These are our working age groups as well as our childbearing women who sustain the population. It is safe to say that this epidemic will badly affect our society as a whole today and in future.

Because over 90% of HIV/AIDS infected people are in their working years, this is a serious problem all businesses face. “HIV/AIDS is hampering human resource development, undermining the skills base and driving away foreign investment. The benefits of a proactive approach far outweigh the costs of doing nothing”; this is stated on the SA Business Coalition on Health and AIDS website. So why should all companies’ present HIV/AIDS awareness courses? Why is it so important especially in the work environment?

 These courses encourage your workforce to get tested and know their status. The more your company and the individual employee know about their status, the more help and better assistance businesses can offer.  Increased awareness of safe practices to prevent HIV infection results in people being more careful and ultimately decreases infection rates.  HIV/AIDS Awareness programmes help people become aware of the levels of care and treatment, whether they are living with HIV or caring for someone with this disease.  These courses give organisations the chance to invest in the communities by creating awareness and educating the workforce who pass down the knowledge to their community members. These courses also help infected employees understanding how to live with HIV/AIDS and make a positive contribution towards society.  They help co-workers understand how to work together with HIV infected people, as a unit and not to stereo type or discriminate against those. These programmes help everyone to understand the disease, to boost staff morale and create better employer/employee relationships.

Industries especially under pressure to put proper HIV/AIDS policies in place, who suffer the most because of this epidemic, are mining, transport, manufacturing and the financial sectors. Bill Clinton put it so wisely by saying: “We live in a completely interdependent world, which simply means we cannot escape each other. How we respond to AIDS depends, in part, on whether we understand this interdependence. It is not someone else’s problem. This is everybody’s problem.”

But where do you as an employer start? Start by educating your staff and creating awareness through presenting HIV/AIDS programs. Help fight HIV/AIDS. Contact [email protected] or visit www.themindspa.co.za for more information.

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• Published: 15 May 2024

Trend and principal components of HIV/AIDS among adults in SSA

• Bayuh Asmamaw Hailu 1  

Scientific Reports volume  14 , Article number:  11098 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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This study aimed to identify the most important principal components (PCs) that contribute to the prevalence and change of HIV/AIDS in 44 SSA and data from different national and international datasets. The study estimated HIV prevalence, trend, and principal component analysis (PCA). Using the elbow method, the number of important PCs and contributions was identified. The quality of representation was checked, and more contributing variables for most important PCs were identified. Finally, the status by prevalence, the progress by trend, the more influenced component by PCA, and the more influenced variable with quality of representation by PCs were reported. The study found that HIV prevalence varied significantly, with 30 of the countries showed good progress/decline. Four PCs accounted for 51% of the total variance. Literacy, cohabitation, media exposure, and HIV status awareness are highly contributing factors. Based on these findings, a gap-based response will help reduce the burden of HIV.

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Age at onset of mental disorders worldwide: large-scale meta-analysis of 192 epidemiological studies

Introduction.

Since the beginning of the first decade of the twentieth century, there have been several landmark events in global efforts to advance HIV/AIDS response. These include the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency in 1990 1 , the red ribbon symbol of AIDS in 1991 2 , the establishment of The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS in 1996 3 , antiretroviral therapy was introduced in 1996 4 , goal was set to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 5 , the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief was launched in 2003 6 .

In 2015, the world delivered on the AIDS targets of Millennium Development Goal 6—halting and ensuring healthy lives 7 and promoting well-being for all at all ages 8 . In 2016, The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Political Declaration on Ending AIDS, which set new targets for 2020 and 2030 9 . In 2018, UNAIDS launched the “Miles to go—closing gaps, breaking barriers, righting injustices” report, which highlighted the progress made in the global response to HIV/AIDS and identified areas where more work is needed 10 . In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that people at high risk of HIV infection should be offered pre-exposure prophylaxis 11 . In 2020 and 2021, there were many long efforts to end the HIV epidemic globally and domestically 12 . However, in 2022 UNAIDS said that we are “IN DANGER” 13 .

Globally, HIV infection has declined annually from 2010 to 2022. However, around two-fifths of the region experienced an increase in HIV infection 14 . Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is home to two-thirds of all people living with HIV globally and is the hardest-hit region in the world 14 . While HIV varies across countries 15 , 16 , 17 and within countries 18 , 19 , this heterogeneity has been explored to some extent. Each community contributes to a specific component, and the factors that influence each community more than their neighbors, the progress over time potential components and influenced variables on the most relevant components do not have been explored at all. This work clearly shows the prevalence, change over time, each community/variable contribution for the specific component, and the highly influenced variable in each component by community. Due to culture, economy, and other reasons, the way of response differs from one area to another area. Programmers, policymakers, and other concerned bodies can make more reduction efforts based on their problem. This analysis clearly showed what the progress is, where is the problem more happening and what the potential reason is clearly set.

The objective was to identify and obtain individual/community-level data from all repeated nationally representative Demography and Health Survey (DHS), Malaria Atlas Project, NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx), and sentinel surveillance of antenatal care clinics (ANC data) that included information on HIV/AIDS status and/or other intervention areas. A maximum of 44 countries were included based on conditions, reducing some countries in some analyses. For example Zimbabwe included in the trend, PCA, community, and national prevalence. South Sudan, Mauritius, Equatorial Guinea, and Botswana included only in national prevalence analysis but not included in other analysis.

(Supplementary Figs. 1 , 2 ).

For HIV analysis, data from DHS and GHDx were used 20 , 21 , which are highly comparable and nationally representative. DHS is one of the main publicly available sources of information for low-income and middle-income countries. Given their focus on adult HIV tests, these surveys target both women and men aged 15–49 years. SSA was selected because most of the countries have conducted at least one HIV test result or geospatial coordinate, and 15 of them collected data from 2015 to 2021 by DHS, almost all of them estimated by GHDx in 2018, and in 2021 by ANC sentinel 22 (Supplementary Figs. 1 – 3 ; Supplementary Table 1 ). The ethical responsibility for all data sources included in this study lies with the institutions that conducted the surveys in each country; therefore, ethics approval for this study was not required.

Data management and analysis

This analysis presents community-based prevalence from 2015 to 2021, country-level prevalence in 2021, and the change over time from 2000 to 2018 (some countries extended to 2021) in Sub-Saharan Africa. The period of 2000–2021 and the age group of 15–49 years were selected to maximize data availability, and most countries’ data sources focus on the 15–49 years age range as the most commonly reported age range. Trend in the form of regression ordinal logistic models were implemented. In this analysis, the data is converted into the prevalence of enumeration areas or communities but for this purpose converted to an ordinal model. Cluster-level HIV prevalence was recategorized into quartiles, where the first quarter is the lowest prevalence and the fourth quarter is the highest prevalence.

For Principal Component Analysis (PCA), only countries that had standard DHS data with GIS coordinate/shape file data information at least once since 2012 were included. Based on DHS coordinate data, extract the cluster value from other sources of data.

This analysis used community-based geographic coordinates (point) data rather than polygon (administrative areas) for HIV prevalence analysis. In point data, the value of HIV prevalence is shared country to country across the border. For this reason, the different years of data collection of each country could be influenced by other neighbors. To control the time variation of data collection, I adopted the country in which HIV test data was collected since 2015 from DHS and the rest from the 2018 GHDx. The country-level prevalence is data from sentinel surveillance of antenatal care clinics (ANC data). ANC data were primarily derived from national HIV estimate files developed by national teams and compiled and shared via UNAIDS. Therefore, I used final UNAIDS compiled data of 2021 22 . For change over time, used both DHS and GHDx data. For community-based change over time, I used GHDx raster data of 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2018. For country-based trend (change over time) regression analysis, all DHS datasets since 2000 which have HIV test results included were used. If the country did not have data or enough data within the 5 years of interval extracted from GDB raster data based on the most recent GPS coordinates of DHS (Supplementary Fig.  4 ).

This analysis included 27 pre-existing covariates from different sources, such as DHS 20 , Atlas Malaria project 23 , 24 , 25 , NASA socioeconomic data 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , and GHDx 32 . Extracting the important information from multivariate data from different datasets to express this information as a set of few new important variables and the most important variables helps combat HIV and other similar problems to achieve 2030 goals. For this analysis, PCA was used. For PCA analysis, variables from DHS individual-level variables changed to community prevalence, and variables from other sources were extracted based on those community-based coordinate datasets. In general, 19,546 point data from 34 countries with 27 variables from four different datasets were extracted (Supplementary Fig.  2 ; Supplementary Table 1 ).

Due to the sensitivity of PCA for outliers, the outlier is identified using a boxplot. It is treated by replacing the outlier with a value that is close to the outlier but not as extreme (winsorization). If the outlier is extreme and cannot be treated by the winsorization method, first reduce the effect by using log transformation and finally use winsorization (Supplementary Fig.  3 ).

All variables are continuous but the effects were found in different dimensions. Some variables are disadvantaged by lower values, while others are inverse. To control this problem and put it into the same dimension (more negatively influenced by higher value), it is transformed by multiplying -1. The variables were from different sources and had different units of measurement. Due to this reason modifies by harmonizing its variability in all directions of the original vectors or standardizing the variables.

To obtain the results of PCA, the eigenvalues/variance and its percent obtained in each principal component are extracted and visualized. The eigenvalues are plotted according to their size (scree), and the elbow point is identified, which is the point where the slope of the graph goes from steep to flat. The components before the elbow are kept, which is determined by looking at an elbow shape of Scree Plot, which is the plot of eigenvalues ordered from largest to smallest 33 , 34 , 35 .

The quality of representation (cos 2 ) of both variables and observations/clusters to each PCs were identified. The contributions of variables and clusters in accounting for the variability in a given PCs are expressed. The most significantly associated variables (according to their contributions) with a given principal component are identified by dimension description. All flow from data extraction to data analysis see the flow chart in the supplementary material (Supplementary Fig.  4 ).

This analysis do not use of experimental animals, or human participants and I use only global/national open source data. So, institutional and/or licensing committee approval for this study was not required.

Analyses were conducted using STAT for data management R for statistical computing (Outlier, PCA, graph, regression), and SAGA and QGIS (Interpolation).

Ethical approval

The utilized DHS data sets are publicly available, and the DHS Programme de-identifies all data before making them available to the public. All other geospatial data sources and DHS do not contain variables at the level of human subjects. Therefore, this work did not require ethical approval.

HIV prevalence varied significantly at the community level and among countries throughout Sub-Saharan African countries. This variation indicated that every country had both edges of HIV prevalence within their communities or grid cells. Within countries, some had a relatively high overall HIV prevalence (e.g., Lesotho, Botswana, and South Africa). Out of 44 countries, except 10 countries have shown good progress or decline in HIV prevalence since 2000 (Fig.  1 ; Supplementary Figs.  5 – 7 ).

HIV trend in SSA. HIV change over time of each countries by year multilevel logistic regression compared by crude odds ratio (COR). To conduct this analysis use R version 4.3.2, available at: https://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/base/ .

In Sub-Saharan Africa, HIV has declined the risk of transition to high severity from the beginning of the first decade of the twenty-first century to the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century. In most countries, decline occurred over time (e.g., Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi), and in 10 countries it coincided with an increased risk of HIV moving from lower severity to higher severity in the recent time period (e.g., Angola, Lesotho). Some countries like Mali had lower prevalence; the trend indicates increased HIV severity since 2000. Some countries more infected by HIV like South Africa and Lesotho showed increased over time. Change over time based on each grid cell HIV prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa showed that the change between the first decade of the twenty-first century at the beginning and the end had better achievement compared to the change between the second decade of at the beginning and the end. The southern part of Sub-Saharan Africa was a reverse achievement. Most countries continue as it has neither declined nor increased especially in the second decade of twenty-first century. The southern Sub-Saharan Africa in recent decades is good compared to the first decade but still showed a higher increment in recent decades (Fig.  1 ; Supplementary Figs. 5 – 7 ).

The outcome measurement survey’s construct validity was calculated using PCA. According to PCA, the total of four principal components (PCs) could account for 51% of the total variance (based on the elbow method). The first component expresses 26.41% of data variability, which is 2.66, 3.44, and 3.8 times more variables than the next three components, respectively. The first two components represent 36.32% of the data (Fig.  2 ; Supplementary Table 2 ).

Eigenvalues/variances of principal components. Proportion of information retained by the top ten principal component.

The list of variables that quality of representation was checked the most to the first or most influenced component were literacy, cohabitation, media exposure, HIV status, negotiating sex, MER, GDP, stigma, and PPT. These variables contributed 8.9%, 7.62%, 6.99%, 6.77%, 6.53%, 6.47%, 5.74%, 5.21%, and 5.16%, respectively. Literacy alone contributed 8.9%. In the second most influenced component, the number of partners excluding spouse, number of sex partners, PPT, city, MER, GDP, and disaster were the more contributing variables that accounted for 12.65%, 11.31%, 10.61%, 8.96%, 8.36%, 6.57%, and 6.36%. For the third more likely influenced component male circumcision, housing, migration, stigma, HIV test, and mother to child transmission knowledge were contributing variables that accounted for 19.58%, 10.05%, 9.57%, 8.77%, 8.7%, and 6.45% respectively. Working status (15.09%), food insecurity (14.54%), number of sex partners (10.74%), STI (10.33%), and age at first sex (8.34%) contributed to the fourth component. Those variables contributed about two thirds of the corresponding component (Fig.  3 ; Supplementary Figs. 8 , 9 ; Supplementary Table 3 ).

Variable contribution and Quality of representation for the selected first 4 PCs (Dim) in left and right panel respectively.

The quality of representation of a variable in each principal component is well represented by the principal component. In every principal component separately, the high percentage of variable contributions has high quality of representation by principal components. Almost all the variables listed above contributed to the first component, and male circumcision in the third component was highly represented by its principal component (Fig.  3 ; Supplementary Fig.  10 ; Supplementary Table 4 ).

The list of communities/clusters that contributed the most to the first or most influenced component were the Northern part of West Africa and most areas of DR Congo, Ethiopia, and South Africa. Communities from all areas of Gabon and Southern African countries except the North East direction of South Africa, some areas of Cameroon, Senegal, Nigeria, and Liberia were highly contributing to the second most principal components. The third most influenced components were highly contributed to by Mauritania, Rwanda, Burundi, countries in the southern part of East Africa and northern parts of South Africa, and some countries like Ivory Coast. In the fourth most influenced components, highly contributing communities were the Northern edge of West Africa, most areas of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Kenya and Ethiopia and some areas of other countries like Angola and DR Congo (Fig.  4 ).

Communities’ contribution of for the selected first 4 PCs (Dimensions). To conduct this analysis use QGIS version 3.28.15 with SAGA GIS version 7.8.2, available at: https://download.qgis.org/downloads/ .

The quality of representation of a cluster/community in each principal component is well represented by a principal component. In every principal component separately, the high percentage of community contributions has high quality of representation by principal components (Supplementary Fig.  11 ).

The four most significant variables contributing to the most important principal components were literacy, cohabitation, media exposure, and HIV status awareness. Most Western SSA and some Eastern SSA countries had a higher prevalence of communities unable to read and write. Except for southern SSA countries, the rest are living with the problem of being unable to read and write. The second most important variable was marital status. Most Western SSA countries of their community pass on unstable lives with partners. That means a higher percentage of the community is either divorced, widowed, or separated. The third important variable that contributed to the first principal components was media exposure. Most communities in central and some areas of Western and Eastern SSA did not have access to radio, television, and newsletters. The fourth was awareness of HIV status. Almost all countries in Western and Central SSA, Madagascar, and some areas of Ethiopia did not know their HIV status (Fig.  5 ).

The prevalence of the most important variables highly contribute for the first most important component.

The four most significant variables contributing to the second most important principal components were the number of partners excluding spouse, number of lifetime sexual partners, PPT, and accessibility cities. Almost all communities of Southern SSA, Gabon, Cameroon, and Liberia from Western SSA had at least one partner excluding a spouse. Most communities in all areas of Northern, Central, and Eastern SSA except Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya in the direction of Ethiopia, Western edge of West Africa Gabon to Sera Lion had more and more number of sex partners. Except South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Nigeria, and some areas of Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Angola were under the economic productivity and standards of living or lower productivity and growth. All areas of Mauritania, Chad, Madagascar, Namibia and Gabon, and some areas of Northern part of West Africa, D.R. Congo and others were talking a long time to travel time to cities to assess inequalities in accessibility (Fig.  6 ).

The prevalence of the most important variables for the second most important component.

Since the first decade of the twenty-first century, the global community has been working to combat HIV and AIDS. The United Nations Security Council and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief took different actions to respond to HIV and AIDS globally 36 , 37 , 38 . Thanks to an uninterrupted effort on access to antiretroviral therapy, HIV-positive people now live longer and healthier lives and prevent onward transmission, leading to a decline in HIV prevalence and death.

The global community has set interim targets for 2020 and 2025 to help achieve the goal of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. The 2020 targets for a declined number of newly infected and AIDS-related deaths were missed 39 , and this target is extended to 2025 with some improvement in reducing the burden 40 , 41 . Considering UNAIDS 2022 14 , achieving the 2025 target will be challenging. We are in the mid-year of the second interim target and now need to take more important action to achieve the target or reduce the gap. This work contributes to showing the path that ends AIDS. Not only does it contribute to HIV/AIDS efforts, but it also contributes to achieving other SDG goals by identifying present analysis and potential for future directions.

The proportion of HIV has declined over time in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and fallen in most countries but increased in others. These analyses show substantial differences between and within countries in levels and trends in HIV prevalence and the spatial distribution of communities living with HIV. Some countries as well as their communities with high prevalence have increased since the beginning of the first decade of the twenty-first century 42 .

Most communities that contributed to PC1 were found in West Africa, D.R. Congo, Ethiopia, and the Northern part of South Africa. Most areas of West Africa had a higher prevalence of communities unable to read and write and did not know their HIV status. In East parts, there was an additional higher rate of being unable to stay in marriage and low access to media. Most areas of Central and Eastern SSA, especially D.R. Congo, Madagascar, and Ethiopia, had lower media exposure and awareness of HIV status. Efforts on those more significant variables in Western, Central, and Eastern SSA can reduce the gap of SDG goals and achievements not only in HIV/AIDS but also with other most SDG goals.

Most communities that contributed to PC2 were highly infected by HIV. In these areas, the community has more lifetime sexual partners even if they had partners exposed to more additional partners for sexual purposes. In SSA, reductions in the numbers of new HIV infections have been modest. Compared to other regions, SSA is home to new HIV infections 14 . For effective new HIV reduction working related to sexual intercourse is predominant. For HIV reduction hotspot of SSA there are the underline areas of intervention for tangible response were sexual-related problems.

This sexual-related problem not only in Southern SSA but also in Western SSA cannot be shown in response to PC1 Central Africa and Northern part of Eastern SSA including Madagascar. The other possible influencing factors in SSA were economic problems. Throughout all SSA countries except South Africa, some part of West Africa in the location of Ghana and its neighbor, and some part of East Africa showed a lack of economic growth and standards of living in different countries with a common currency/basket of goods and travel time to cities to assess inequalities in accessibility.

The diversity seen in permutations of levels of literacy, cohabitation, media access, HIV test, more sexual intercourse partners, and economic situation has led to considerable variations in ways in which different countries are addressing and meeting the targets. This analysis used for policy response can be used for effective HIV response. Additionally, this effort can be used for other SDG goal responses in parallel.

Limitations

This analysis has several limitations. First, some SSA countries do not have data with DHS and are not included in this analysis. The data source is from different open-source datasets, and data collection time is varied. Some covariates of the surveys, potential non-response bias, and recall bias are particular concerns 43 . The covariate may also be suboptimal in some situations, such as age at first sex 44 . The surveys rely on self-reported data, which may be subject to recall bias or social desirability bias for covariates. Finally, the surveys may not be representative of certain subgroups of the population, such as those living in remote areas or those who are not included in the sampling frame 45 . Due to this reason, unmeasured communities are predicted by the result of the nearest neighbor community.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the DHS ( http://www.measuredhs.com ), NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (sedac) ( https://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/ ), GBD/GHDx ( https://ghdx.healthdata.org/ihme_data ), Malaria Atlas Project ( https://data.malariaatlas.org/trends?year=2020&metricGroup=Malaria&geographicLevel=admin0&metricSubcategory=Pf&metricType=rate&metricName=incidence ), and UNAIDS ( https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2021/2021_unaids_data ). All data sources are publicly accessible except for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which necessitates a formal request. Therefore, data are available from the corresponding author (Bayuh Asmamaw Hailu) upon reasonable request.

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The author expresses their gratitude to all data sources for allowing them to use their archives to obtain the data set of 44 Sub-Saharan African countries.

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Hailu, B.A. Trend and principal components of HIV/AIDS among adults in SSA. Sci Rep 14 , 11098 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55872-2

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Write a general essay in about 200 words : AIDS Awareness Programmes.

Aids awareness programmes there are many people who throw caution to the winds and end up being affected with hiv/aids. this disease is transmitted by an infected person to others during unprotected sex, use of infected needles and from a mother to her newborn child. those facts are sometimes not known to all individuals and this is the reason why many innocent people are unknowingly affected with this disease. by starting an awareness program one can hope to bring together masses of people and enlighten them on the ill effects of this disease. by bringing together individuals from all walks of life one can give them information on how the disease is contracted by individuals and the ways one can enlist to save themselves from contracting the disease. this knowledge given to the masses will prevent social stigma, from becoming rampant and will allow those affected with the disease to live a normal life. when you are choosing to enlighten people about this disease you don't have to be a relative or friend of a victim who has been affected with this disease. aids is a disease that doesn't choose it victims. it affects each and every individual that comes its way. victims include babies, teen and old people. their race, sex and age doesn't count when they are affected with the disease. sometimes people are infected even if it was no fault of theirs; this is in cases of newborn babies. community based programs are the best way to spread awareness about this disease. one can enlist help of local work involving spread of useful information regarding the disease. ngo's can help, care and support for those affected with the ailment. faith sharing organization can do their part by educating the masses on the factors resulting to the disease. schools and colleges can help by spreading awareness through sex education classes, through which young girls and boys get to know facts which help them not to fall prey to this disease. in order to combat aids and spread knowledge in a better way we need to put forth a community based plan and schedule it systematically so that each and every individual in a particular location gets required information. stringing together a systematic plan is essential as in some communities the occurrence of hiv is low while in others the level is quite high. you also need to take into account practices like polygamy, dowry, superstitions and lack of health care when you consider awareness programs in localities where there are many poor people. by using such a systematic plan we can hope to bring about a change in society for the good by informing individuals and at the same time providing a loving and caring atmosphere for those affected by this disease. a constructive, coordinate and consistent program will help orient the community to a higher success rate and in turn will help to combat hiv/aids in a better way. it is essential to get more and more people involved in an aids awareness program as this goes a long way in reducing incident as people are well informed regarding what to do and what not to do..

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National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

At a glance.

CDC recognizes National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day for 2023 and highlights the success of the Together TakeMeHome program.

Dear Colleague

September 27, 2023

Today is National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD), a day to help end HIV stigma and encourage HIV testing, prevention, and treatment among gay and bisexual men.

This year, we are highlighting the success of Together TakeMeHome (TTMH) , a program with the goal of bringing HIV testing to people wherever they are—distributing at least 1 million free HIV self-tests by mail over the next five years. TTMH overcomes economic, geographic, and social barriers to HIV testing and has been proven to work in a randomized trial with gay and bisexual men.

Setting up a system where people can order HIV self-tests through the internet and apps has been shown to be highly effective, and cost-saving to the health care system. TTMH not only brings testing to people wherever they are, but many of the people who test report never having tested for HIV previously. We invite all of us working in HIV, including those in health care, and public health to continue promoting TTMH to populations in need. Regardless of the test results, anyone who would like additional support can reach out to the TTMH support via email or telephone. People who receive a negative test result can take advantage of HIV prevention tools such as PrEP ( pre-exposure prophylaxis ) and condoms. People who receive a positive test result can start HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy, or ART) to stay healthy. Learn more about innovative ways to increase access to HIV prevention and treatment.

This NGMHAAD, help us raise awareness about HIV testing, prevention, and treatment for gay and bisexual men by downloading and sharing resources from CDC's Let's Stop HIV Together campaign, the national campaign of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy . Let's Stop HIV Together is an evidence-based campaign created in English and Spanish that aims to empower communities, partners, and health care providers to reduce HIV stigma and promote HIV testing , prevention , and treatment . You can also share social media content from CDC's digital toolkit using the #NGMHAAD and #StopHIVTogether hashtags.

Together, we can build on the progress made through TTMH, reduce HIV incidence, and continue working toward the end of the HIV epidemic in this country.

/Robyn Fanfair/

Robyn Neblett Fanfair, MD, MPH Captain, USPHS Acting Division Director Division of HIV Prevention National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/hiv

/Jonathan Mermin/

Jonathan H. Mermin, MD, MPH Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General, USPHS Director National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Stay connected: @DrMerminCDC & Connections

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