National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was first recognized on May 19, 2005, by the Banyan Tree Project and the San Francisco Community Health Center to raise awareness about the impact of HIV and AIDS-related stigma in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities.
Although the API communities are the fastest growing minority group, HIV diagnoses in this group have remained stable. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States and dependent territories, most new HIV diagnoses in API communities were among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Other segments of the API population in the United States who experienced new HIV diagnoses were women and people who inject drugs. HIV-related stigma is a primary barrier to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment in API communities. Intensified efforts are needed to support culturally tailored interventions to improve access to HIV services for API communities. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports research opportunities to better understand and address factors that contribute to HIV in API populations.
Social Media
- Use the hashtag #APIMay19 to follow the conversation on social media. Check out the “Use Digital Communication” resources on HIV.gov National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day webpage for tips to spread awareness on social media. Download graphics and find sample social media posts to help promote HIV prevention, testing, and treatment in API communities on CDC’s National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day webpage.
NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) Resources
- FY 2021–2025 NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research (NIH HIV Strategic Plan) The NIH HIV Strategic Plan provides a roadmap for NIH to guide HIV-related research and direct HIV research funding to the highest-priority areas to help end HIV. The NIH HIV Strategic Plan includes efforts to mitigate HIV-associated stigma and discrimination among diverse populations and settings as a key area for HIV research.
- This OAR Director’s Blog post describes the importance of raising awareness about HIV among API communities, as well as the need for research that supports culturally tailored interventions for HIV prevention and treatment in API communities.
Information on HIV in API Communities
- The CDC website provides information on HIV in the United States by race and ethnicity. Additional information is available from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health website.