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HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day

June 5

HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day

HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD) honors long-term survivors of HIV and increases visibility of their needs, health issues, and journeys. The annual observance on June 5 coincides with the anniversary of the first reported cases of what later became known as AIDS.

HIV long-term survivors include several groups:

  • People who have had HIV for 10 years or longer
  • Adults with HIV who acquired the virus perinatally during or soon after birth
  • People who were diagnosed with HIV before the availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 1996.

With decades of successful HIV research and new treatments, people with HIV are living longer, resulting in a growing population of long-term survivors. This population may experience complications associated with long-term exposure to the virus, the toxicity of many early HIV treatments that caused life-altering side effects, and long-term ART use. HLTSAD encourages advocates to support efforts to improve quality of life for long-term survivors with HIV.

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