FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jora White, (334) 206-2778
World AIDS Day is held December 1 each year. This day is an opportunity for public and private partners to spread awareness about the status of the epidemic and encourage progress in HIV prevention, treatment and care around the world.
The World AIDS Day 2023 theme is, “World AIDS Day 35: Remember and Commit." The first World AIDS Day was held 35 years ago to raise awareness about HIV and honor the lives affected by the epidemic. The goal is to acknowledge and celebrate the progress made as well as recognize challenges when it comes to HIV treatment. The other facet of this year’s theme, “commit” stresses the community’s responsibility to act.
HIV is not curable but is 100 percent preventable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends being tested at least once a year if a person engages in activities that can transmit HIV infection. Strategies such as abstinence, not sharing needles, and using condoms correctly are methods to prevent HIV. Medical treatments such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are other strategies used to prevent HIV. When adhered to as prescribed, both PrEP and PEP are highly effective for preventing HIV.
Sharon Jordan, Director of the Office of HIV Prevention and Care, Alabama Department of Public Health, states, “Over the years, HIV care has advanced but we still have a long way to go. As a society, each one of us can make a difference in ending the epidemic, through advocacy and working to improve disparities that prevent individuals from seeking the care they need.”
If you are interested in assisting in Ending the Epidemic in Alabama, information on HIV and free testing, visit the Office of HIV Prevention and Care.
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11/30/23