National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day, observed on September 18, highlights the experiences and needs of older adults living with HIV. It also reminds people that HIV can affect individuals at every stage of life, making awareness, prevention, testing, treatment, and compassionate care important for older adults and their communities.

This observance encourages open conversations about sexual health, regular medical care, and the realities of aging with HIV. It is also a time to challenge stigma, recognize the strength and resilience of people who have lived with HIV for many years, and support access to respectful, inclusive resources that help everyone age with dignity and good health.

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day is observed annually on **September 18**. The observance was established by The AIDS Institute in 2008 to draw attention to the growing number of older adults living with HIV and to recognize the particular prevention, testing, treatment, and support needs associated with aging and HIV. Its creation reflected a major change in the history of the epidemic: advances in antiretroviral therapy had enabled many people diagnosed with HIV to live substantially longer lives.

During the early decades of the HIV/AIDS crisis, public discussion often portrayed HIV as an illness primarily affecting younger adults. As effective treatment became more widely available, that image became increasingly incomplete. People who acquired HIV earlier in life began reaching older age, while adults in later life continued to receive new diagnoses. National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day helped bring greater visibility to these developments and encouraged health professionals and communities to include older adults in HIV education and prevention efforts.

The observance also highlights the medical and social issues that can accompany long-term HIV infection and aging. Older people living with HIV may face age-related conditions alongside HIV-related health concerns, potential medication interactions, isolation, and the effects of stigma or ageism. At the same time, assumptions that older adults are not sexually active can limit conversations about safer sex, testing, and prevention. September 18 therefore serves as an opportunity to promote respectful, age-inclusive health care and to emphasize that HIV testing and prevention are relevant throughout adulthood.

Over time, the day has become part of broader efforts to improve awareness of HIV among older adults, caregivers, providers, and the public. Its cultural significance lies in challenging stereotypes about both aging and HIV: older adults are not invisible in the epidemic, and living longer with HIV represents both a public-health success and an ongoing need for comprehensive care. Each **September 18**, organizations and advocates use the observance to support education, reduce stigma, encourage testing and treatment, and recognize the experiences of older people affected by HIV.