National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (September 27, 2023)

September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD). Pacific AETC offers resources to learn more about the impact of HIV on gay and bisexual men in the United States.  Share the social media posts below to raise awareness a encourage gay and bisexal men to get tested and know their prevention options.

From CDC:

Racism, discrimination, HIV stigma, and homophobia affect the overall health and well-being of some gay and bisexual men. Additionally, lower income and educational levels, and higher rates of unemployment and incarceration may place some gay and bisexual men at higher risk for HIV and make it harder to seek and receive high-quality health care, including HIV testing, treatment, and other prevention services. Addressing these social and structural barriers and encouraging safe and supportive communities can help improve health outcomes for gay and bisexual men.

Other factors that can increase the chances of getting or transmitting HIV include:

HIV prevalence. A higher proportion of gay and bisexual men have HIV compared to any other group in the US. Therefore, gay and bisexual men have an increased chance of having a partner who has HIV.

 

 

Knowledge of HIV status. It is important for everyone to know their HIV status. People who don’t know they have HIV can’t take advantage of HIV care and treatment and may pass HIV to others without knowing it.

 

 

Sexual behaviors. Some factors put gay and bisexual men at higher risk for HIV, including having anal sex with someone who has HIV without using protection (like condoms or medicines to prevent or treat HIV). Anal sex is the riskiest type of sex for getting or transmitting HIV. Receptive anal sex is 13 times as risky for getting HIV as insertive anal sex.

 

Low PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) use. PrEP use among gay and bisexual men, especially Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men, remains low. If taken as prescribed, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV.

 

Other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Gay and bisexual men are at increased risk for other STDs, like syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Having another STD can increase a person’s chance of getting or transmitting HIV. Condoms can protect from some STDs, including HIV.

 

Upcoming Events

Together We’re Better National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Summit, is a free event hosted by People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) and Gilead. The event is from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PDT.

Join the National Hispanic Medical Association National Gay Men’s HIV Twitter chat on September 27, at 8:00 p.m.

For this year’s National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, on September 25, NMAC held a Facebook Live panel-style discussion around the diverse experiences and struggles of gay men from all walks of life.  Included in the panel was Pacific AETC Program Manager, Ben Ignalino. Check out this recording of the event.

How to get involved

Spread the word on social media about NGMHAAD with these:

Download the CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together testing campaign resources for gay and bisexual men in English and Spanish.

Hashtags: #NGMHAAD #StopHIVTogether

Sample posts:

September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to help stop HIV stigma and encourage HIV testing, prevention, and treatment among gay and bisexual men. https://bit.ly/3Q7IqHD #NGMHAAD #StopHIVTogether

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clinicians Promoting PrEP

Clinicians are key to ensuring continued access to critical HIV testing and PrEP services. This #NGMHAAD, visit HIV Nexus to access the latest CDC guidance on HIV testing and PrEP: https://bit.ly/3e1z0Qf. #StopHIVTogether. (English)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Los médicos son clave para garantizar el acceso continuo a las pruebas del VIH y los servicios de #PrEP, los cuales son críticos. Este #NGMHAAD, visita HIV Nexus para acceder las guías más recientes de los CDC sobre las pruebas de VIH y la PrEP: https://bit.ly/3RigWA1. #StopHIVTogether