Event Series:
National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
March 20, 2029
National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was first observed in 2007. This day is observed on the first day of Spring each year. For example, the 2023 observance is recognized on March 20, 2023. Therefore, the date will change from year to year as the first day of spring changes. The awareness color red represents HIV/AIDS.
The National Native HIV Network plans the observance each year. Moreover, the observance is a national mobilization effort. It encourages education, testing, prevention and treatment for HIV in Native people (American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians) across the United States and Territorial Areas.
Personal Stories During National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
You can learn more about HISstory, HERstory, THEIRstory, OURstory: Storytelling as Resilience. This initiative is aimed at increasing awareness and knowledge of HIV. In other words, story tellin breaks down the barriers of HIV/AIDS stigma in indigenous communities. For example, uou can see some of these stories here.
To support the development of comprehensive solutions to end the HIV epidemic, see The Indigenous HIV/AIDS Syndemic Strategy: Weaving Together the National HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis Plans. This document contains emerging practices and existing initiatives. In addition, it includes traditional Indigenous knowledge to help Tribal decision-makers to develop community-tailored interventions. These intervensions address the syndemics of HIV, STIs, and viral hepatitis. A syndemic or synergistic epidemic is the aggregation of two or more concurrent or sequential epidemics or disease clusters in a population with biological interactions, which exacerbate the prognosis and burden of disease.
Statistics Among AI/AN Population
In 2019, among AI/AN population, there were an estimated 230 new HIV infections (HIV Incidence, CDC). From 2015 to 2019, diagnosis of HIV infection among men who have sex with men increased by 24 percent. During the same time period, the rate of deaths of adults and adolescents with HIV in this population decreased by 19 percent (HIV Surveillance Report, CDC). Some of the challenges Native communities face include lack of awareness of their HIV status. In addition, alcohol and illicit drug use, data limitation, high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI), stigma and confidentiality, and socioeconomic issues also contribute to the challenges.
The U.S. government recognizes National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
Key Points on National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
- The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes HIV infection. If untreated, HIV may cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the most advanced stage of HIV infection.
- People with HIV who are not on medication and do not have consistent control of their HIV can transmit HIV through vaginal or anal sex. They can also transmit it by sharing of needles, pregnancy, and/or breastfeeding. The risk of transmission is close to zero when HIV is controlled.
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the use of HIV medicines that reduce the level of HIV in the blood. This is also called the viral load. ART is recommended for everyone who has HIV. ART cannot cure HIV infection. But HIV medicines help people with HIV have about the same life expectancy as people without HIV.
- HIV medicines (ART) can eliminate the risk of HIV transmission. For parents with HIV that want to breastfeed, the risk of transmitting HIV through breast milk is less than 1% with the consistent use of HIV medicine (ART) and an undetectable viral load.
- People on ART take a combination of HIV medicines (called an HIV treatment regimen) every day (pills) or by schedule (injections). In many cases oral medicines are combined into a single pill or capsule. There are newer long-acting medicines given by an injection every 2 months that may be used in some people.
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