National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

March 10

Prevention and Testing at Every Age. Care and Treatment at Every Stage

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD) is dedicated to raising awareness about the impact of HIV on women and girls. First observed in 2005, NWGHAAD highlights ongoing efforts to improve HIV prevention, treatment, and care services among women and girls. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Women’s Health leads the U.S. government’s NWGHAAD observance. This year’s theme is “Prevention and Testing at Every Age. Care and Treatment at Every Stage,” emphasizing the importance of HIV prevention and improved outcomes for people with HIV.

Despite tremendous advances in HIV research over the last 40 years, women—particularly women of color, young women, and transgender women—remain disproportionately affected by HIV. Additional research is critical to understanding the best ways to prevent, treat, and cure HIV across women’s lifespans. It is also essential that HIV research prioritizes diverse populations to ensure all women receive access to HIV services that will work for their needs and preferences.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research (OAR) and Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) launched the HIV and Women Signature Program in 2023 to advance the NIH vision for women's health, a world in which all women, girls, and gender-diverse people receive evidence-based HIV care, prevention, and treatment tailored to their unique needs, circumstances, and goals. The Signature Program recognizes the importance of community engagement to ensure that NIH HIV research reflects the concerns of community members and that HIV prevention and treatment services are tailored for different communities and populations.

Upcoming Events

NIH HIV & Women Scientific Workshop: Centering the Health of Women in HIV Research
March 21-22, 2024
9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
OAR and ORWH are hosting a two-day virtual workshop to review the state of the science on HIV and women to inform the future NIH HIV research agenda. The workshop will feature HIV-related topics of relevance to women, girls, and gender-diverse people. Community members were involved in planning the agenda and will provide perspectives throughout the meeting. Speakers include U.S. and international researchers focused on HIV and women’s health, as well as leaders in the HIV advocacy community. The event is open to the public and will be broadcast live on NIH VideoCast.

View the agenda, and add the meeting to your calendar for Day 1 or Day 2.

14th International Workshop on HIV & Women
April 12-13, 2024
Washington, DC, and Virtual
This workshop, sponsored in part by OAR, will provide an opportunity for partners to discuss issues, gaps, and opportunities to improve the lives of women with HIV.

Social Media

Use the hashtag #NWGHAAD to follow the conversation on social media. Use the Office on Women’s Health NWGHAAD Social Media Toolkit—which includes samples messages, graphics, videos, and other resources—to help increase awareness about HIV and women. The HIV.gov NWGHAAD and NWGHAAD on the CDC Awareness Days webpage also have downloadable graphics, sample social media messages, and other tips to help amplify messages for NWGHAAD.

Additional Resources

NIH Office of AIDS Research

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 and HIV-related research and direct HIV research funding to the highest-priority areas to help end HIV. The NIH Strategic Plan for HIV identifies women as a key population for HIV research.
The Lancet HIV Highlights HIV and Women Signature Program at NIH: A new position paper, published in The Lancet HIV, outlines a framework for an intersectional, equity-informed, data-driven approach to research on HIV and women, the cornerstone of the HIV and Women Signature Program.
HIV and Women Signature Program: The HIV and Women Signature Program, a joint effort of OAR and the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) aims to advance research focused on HIV and women. The webpage provides information on NIH research priorities related to HIV and women’s health research and the importance of sex and gender in research. In addition, this page provides links to articles and other resources at NIH and across the federal government.
HIVinfo.NIH.gov is an online resource, maintained by OAR, that offers up-to-date HIV information to the public, people with HIV, and those who care for them. Resources include infographics, fact sheets, and an HIV Source Women Collection with links to additional resources related to HIV and women. Resources are available on the following topics:

Office on Women’s Health

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Women’s Health leads the U.S. government’s NWGHAAD observance. The Office on Women’s Health NWGHAAD webpage provides information about this year’s theme and ideas to recognize NWGHAAD in your community. Read the NWGHAAD 2024 fact sheet or visit the Office on Women’s Health HIV and AIDS webpage to learn more.

HIV.gov

HIV.gov provides information on the U.S. government’s HIV response. HIV.gov aims to expand visibility of relevant federal HIV policies, programs, and resources and to increase knowledge about HIV and access to HIV services to people with, and affected by, HIV. The NWGHAAD webpage provides information about HIV in women and girls, as well as resources to help spread awareness on social media. Check out the HIV and Women’s Health Issues webpage to understand some of the health issues women with HIV may experience.

CDC

CDC’s Awareness Days webpages provides resources to help spread awareness about HIV in women and girls. In addition, CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign provides resources like brochures, videos, and posters to empower communities to promote HIV testing, prevention, and treatment. Also, learn more about HIV and Women.