Friday, May 19, marks National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (#APIMay19) 2023. It’s an opportunity to promote HIV testing, prevention and treatment as well as fight HIV stigma and address the unique challenges faced by Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.

According to 2020 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2.3% of new HIV diagnoses in the country (700 of 30,635 cases) were among these groups. Although this is not a high prevalance, data also show that HIV testing rates are lower among these groups, so the number of cases is likely higher. Specifically, 24% of Asian people and 36% of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander people reported ever being tested, according to AIDSVu.org, which tracks HIV data. The national average is 39%.

Search #APIMay19 on social media to find related campaigns and events. Samples are included in this article.

“Negative HIV-related health outcomes for Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander people are impacted by many factors, including stigma and language barriers,” writes AIDSVu. “Addressing these issues requires culturally competent and sensitive approaches that consider the unique experiences and needs of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.”

The CDC offers additional #APIMay19 graphics and awareness campaigns, including these two sample social media posts:

May 19 is National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to combat stigma in Asian and Pacific Islander communities. When we reduce HIV stigma and promote prevention, testing, and treatment, we can #StopHIVTogether. http://bit.ly/3ZU99wK #NAPIHAAD #APIMay19

 

Today is National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day devoted to eliminating HIV stigma in Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Learn more about the role that everyone plays in stopping HIV stigma: http://bit.ly/3JqBLqq. #NAPIHAAD #APIMay19 #StopHIVTogether

Overall, about 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the United States, and 17,034 are Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander people. For details about HIV among other communities, visit the POZ HIV Basics section “HIV in Specific Populations.” You’ll find information about transgender people, African Americans, Latinos, women, people over 50 and more.

To learn more about other HIV awareness days, including a calendar you can download and print, visit “2023 HIV/AIDS Awareness Days.” And for related APIMay19 news, see the HIV.gov blog post “Why National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Still Matters in 2023.”