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HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (June 5th)

On June 5, 1981, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the first cases among gay men of a mysterious illness that would later become known as AIDS.  This anniversary is now commemorated as HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD). The theme is, “Mobilize to Thrive: Prioritizing Quality of Life.”

Many HIV long-term survivors are now aged 50 or older. For more information about the effects of HIV on this population group, you can visit the Older People and HIV page in NEAETC’s Online HIV Resource Library. This page includes descriptions and links to many fact sheets, issue briefs, reports, and infographics, as well as to the latest surveillance data and guidelines for HIV prevention and care.

 

Information Specifically About Long-Term Survivors

HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day website – This site includes background information about HLTSAD, long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS, and priorities for improving the quality of life of long-term survivors.

HIV Long-Term Survivors Day #HLTSAD – HIV.gov’s resource page for HLTSAD, which includes a variety of materials to help organizations raise awareness about HIV among long-term survivors.

LetsKickASS (LKA) – AIDS Survivor Syndrome – This grassroots organization is devoted to improving the lives of survivors and helps organize HLTSAD.

Long-Term Survivors of HIV – This web page from The Well Project includes background information about HIV long-term survivors, AIDS survivor syndrome, and the physical health and quality of life concerns of this community.

Managing Long-Term HIV Survivors – This section of TheBodyPro website includes news, features, interviews, and conference coverage focusing on HIV long-term survivors and on older persons (aged 50 or older) living with HIV.

#Long-Term Survivors – This section of the Poz website is a compilation of news and opinion pieces that are either directly about, or considered relevant for, long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS.

Pre-HAART Long-Term Survivors Forum – This Poz question-and-answer forum is for persons who have been living with HIV since before 1996 – the year when highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) first became widely available.

 

Background Information About Older People and HIV

HIV in the United States by Age (CDC) – This web page links to data on HIV among different age groups, including people age 55 and older – a group that includes many long-term survivors. Information is provided on HIV risk behaviors, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) coverage, HIV incidence, HIV diagnoses, knowledge of HIV status, viral suppression rates, prevention challenges, and what CDC is doing to address HIV in different age groups.

HIV and Older People (HIVinfo) – This fact sheet examines how HIV affects older people, their risk factors for HIV infection, recommendations for HIV testing, and considerations regarding HIV treatment in older people. Also available in Spanish.

Aging with HIV (HIV.gov) – This fact sheet provides background information about growing older with HIV, the health complications that may occur with aging, the consequences of long-term HIV infection, and the relatively high rate of late HIV diagnosis among older people with HIV. There is also a brief discussion about the importance of support services for older people with HIV.

HIV, AIDS, and Older Adults (National Institute on Aging) – This fact sheet in question-and-answer format gives information about what HIV and AIDS are; HIV transmission, testing, and symptoms; and ways HIV is different in older adults compared to younger persons.