Sunday, September 27, marks National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD) 2020. Men who have sex with men, especially those who are Black or Latino, remain disproportionately affected by the epidemic. NGMHAAD is a time to recognize these facts and to support dialogue about prevention, treatment and the unique needs of this population.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gay and bisexual men accounted for 69% of the 37,968 new HIV cases in 2018. Of the gay and bisexual men who tested HIV positive, 37% were Black, 30% were Latino, 27% were white and 3% were Asian. What’s more, the rates were more prevalent among younger men: 39% of new cases (10,382) were among those ages 25 to 34, and 25% (6,576 cases) were among young men ages 13 to 24.

For more updated and detailed news on related rates, see “HIV Diagnoses Decline Among Gay and Bi Men, Mostly Driven by Whites,” which was posted this week in POZ.

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Let’s find different ways to connect while staying safe during this time. #NGMHAAD #AloneTogether #StopHIVTogether

A post shared by CDC HIV/AIDS (@stophivtogether) on

Several organizations across the country build campaigns and events around NGMHAAD. For example, the Counter Narrative Project (CNP), which amplifies the stories of Black gay men, hosted a roundtable discussion about the impact of HIV criminalization on people of color, sex workers and Black gay men. Panelists included Michael Ward, Robert Suttle, Amir Sadeghi and Dennis Hardy. Click on the video at the top of this article to watch the discussion. The event marked the start of CNP’s We Will Be Heard (#WWBH) Week of Action.

 

 

The CDC’s NGMHAAD page offers numerous graphics you can download and share. Topics range from HIV treatment (Undetectable Equals Untransmittable, or U=U), stigma and prevention (pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP).

 

The CDC also shares text you can post via social media. Examples include:

 

Facebook: September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to encourage open communication about HIV prevention strategies and address the disproportionate impact of HIV on gay and bisexual men. #NGMHAAD #StartTalkingHIV https://bit.ly/3aTpI3g

Twitter: September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to encourage open communication about #HIV prevention strategies and address the disproportionate impact of HIV on gay and bisexual men. #NGMHAAD #StartTalkingHIV https://bit.ly/3aTpI3g

Instagram: September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to encourage open communication about HIV prevention strategies and address the disproportionate impact of HIV on gay and bisexual men. #NGMHAAD #StartTalkingHIV #HIV