Month: March 2023

National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on March 20th is an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact of HIV on Native people (American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians) across the United States and territorial areas. Today and every day, we can help reduce stigma and work to expand HIV education, testing, prevention, and treatment in Native communities.

The 2023 #NNHAD theme is “Weaving our Horizon: Strength. CommUnity. Equity.”Learn more from the National Native HIV Network.

Resources from PAETC and Partner Organizations

National Minority AIDS Council is hosting a Facebook Live on Tuesday March 21, 2023 at 2:00 PM (ET) to honor National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

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Access NMAC’s Not One More Fighting HIV/AIDS in Native American Communities Brochure.

View HIV Learning Network’s Culturally-Based Programs to Improve Engagement and Health Outcomes: Addressing Stigma for Native Hawaiian with HIV with speaker Malulani Orton, Native Hawaiian Medical Case Manager at Hawai’i Health & Harm Reduction Center.

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View Session 3 of California PTC’s Medical Mistrust Symposium, which focuses on Meaningfully Engaging the Tribal Community with speaker Michael Allison, Native American Liaison at the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS).

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Providers: Help end the HIV epidemic in American Indian, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian communities by using advances in HIV testing, prevention, & treatment.

CDC’s HIVNexus offers free tools and guidelines

Learn how the HIV epidemic impacts Native communities with data from AIDSVu:

According to AIDSVu, certain age groups in the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) community are more affected by HIV/AIDS. In 2021, young American Indians/Alaska Native people (AI/AN) aged 25-34 had the highest percentage (40%) of new HIV diagnoses of any age group. This percentage increased from 2020, when American Indians/Alaska Native people aged 25-34 accounted for 36% of new HIV diagnoses.

Additionally, among all women in 2021, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women had the highest percentage (40%) of new HIV diagnoses attributed to injection drug use (IDU) when compared to other races and ethnicities.

It is also important to recognize how social determinants of health can negatively impact HIV-related health outcomes for AI/AN communities due to a lack of access to affordable health care and financial insecurity. For example:

• 1% of the AI/AN population were living below the poverty level, compared to 12.8% of the U.S. population.
• 19% of the AI/AN population were uninsured, compared to 8.7% of the U.S. population.

Download and Share AIDSVu NHAAD Infographics

Friday, March 10th is annual observance of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD), a day to shed light on the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls and show support for those at risk of and living with HIV. Access #NWGHAAD resources, toolkits, patient materials, and more from the Office on Women’s Health.

According to the Office on Women’s Health, in 2020, 1.1 million people aged 13 and older were living with HIV in the United States. During that year, an estimated 30,635 people received a new HIV diagnosis.¹

In 2019, out of the almost 35,000 new HIV diagnoses, women accounted for 18% of these cases. Most of the diagnoses were among women ages 25 to 44.

Although HIV diagnoses decreased among women overall from 2015 to 2019, disparities in HIV continue as Black or African American women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. In 2019, Black or African American women accounted for 54% of the new HIV diagnoses.¹

Diagnoses among women were primarily attributed to heterosexual sexual contact (84%) or injection drug use (16%). Out of the new HIV diagnoses in 2019, 2% were among transgender women. The highest number of diagnoses were among Black or African American transgender women and Hispanic/Latino transgender women.

Poverty, stigma, medical mistrust, and fear of discrimination prevent some women from seeking and receiving high-quality health care, including HIV testing, treatment, and other prevention services. Addressing these barriers and encouraging safe and supportive communities can help improve health outcomes for women.

An estimated 14% of transgender women have HIV. Transgender women experience stigma and discrimination and often encounter healthcare providers or clinics lacking knowledge of transgender issues or proper inclusive language. These all pose obstacles to HIV testing, prevention, and care that can be addressed among transgender women.

Learn more about transgender women and inclusive HIV care with HIV Learning Network’s on-demand webinar Transgender and Cisgender Women’s Perspectives on Trans-Inclusive HIV Care for Women, given by Jae Sevelius, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS), and Associate Professor of Medicine, UCSF.

Greater Than AIDS

We’d also like to recognize Greater Than AIDS, who have elevated the conversation around ending HIV stigma and empowerment this National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Click here to hear watch Grammy Award-winning artist Alicia Keys in conversation with five inspiring women living with HIV here in America, about love, life and finding empowerment.

Additional Resources

• Get the latest data on HIV among women by downloading the CDC’s HIV and Women fact sheet here.
• Learn more about HIV and Women risk behaviors, diagnoses, knowledge of status, prevention challenges, and more.