National HIV/AIDS & Aging Awareness Day

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAD) is observed annually on September 18th. The NHAAD theme is “Aging is a part of life; HIV doesn’t have to be!” The AIDS Institute and the National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day Planning Committee encourage you and your organization to use social media to reach older adults about the importance of getting tested for HIV and how to further protect themselves. Many older adults are not getting tested for HIV. The misconception that older adults do not have sex or use drugs leads to a lack of HIV testing among this population. Lack of public education about HIV/AIDS targeted at older adult’s means this demographic may also be less knowledgeable or aware about how to protect themselves against infection. Furthermore, advances in the treatment of HIV means that more and more people diagnosed with the virus are living longer than expected, yet there is a shortage of social service and support mechanisms for older adults living with HIV/AIDS.

General resources on HIV/AIDS and the older adult population

The AIDS Institute

www.TheAIDSInstitute.org

www.facebook.com/TheAIDSInstitute

NHAAD

www.NHAAD.org

www.facebook.com/pages/National-HIVAIDS-and-Aging-Awareness-DayNHAAAD/106557336057829?ref=hl

AIDS.gov

www.aids.gov

https://www.facebook.com/AIDS.gov/info?tab=page_info

locator.aids.gov

AOA

aoa.acl.gov www.facebook.com/aclgov

ACRIA

www.acria.org www.facebook.com/pages/ACRIA/100891271472

HIV

www.cdc.gov/hiv gettested.cdc.gov

www.facebook.com/cdchiv

HRSA

www.hab.hrsa.gov

www.facebook.com/HHS.HRSA

SAGE

www.sageusa.org www.facebook.com/SAGEUSA

National Resource Center on LGBT Aging