Archive Perspectives: World AIDS Day

Every year on December 1st, people unite on World AIDS Day to shine a light on the experiences of those living with HIV and to remember lives lost. Although medical advances now mean people with HIV can expect a long and healthy life, HIV continues to be highly stigmatised and misunderstood.

With the USA and UK committed to ending new HIV transmissions by 2030, the organisers behind World AIDS Day are encouraging people to continue to fight for political investment to make this goal a reality.

We’re sharing three articles from our archive to help with understanding the efforts and strategies to combat HIV and the stigma surrounding it. Read the articles below or find out more about World AIDS Day.

The World Today (June/July 2023 issue)

“We learnt hard lessons about the importance of communication, political support and public education, lessons that still inform the battle against HIV/Aids today.”

Protesters from the Aids activist group Act Up demonstrate outside the US Food and Drug Administration headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, in 1988
Protesters from the Aids activist group Act Up demonstrate outside the US Food and Drug Administration headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, in 1988

Harold Jaffe lead on numerous HIV/Aids projects at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and was involved in investigating the first cases of HIV/AIDS in the USA in the 1980’s.

In this The World Today article, Harold retells the confusion and lack of communication in the early days of discovery of the virus, particularly among the gay community, and the first activist groups that fought for legislative change.

Read the article on pages 42–43, here.

British Journal of Healthcare Assistants (December 2022 issue)

“The need for global responses to the challenges, present in all three epidemics, COVID-19, Ebola, and HIV/AIDS, have removed national borders……none of us are safe until all of us are.”

The four pillars/strategies for ending AIDS (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020)

Governmental bodies around the world are focusing on four key strategies (or pillars) to end the HIV epidemic, although newer pandemics like COVID-19 may have impacted this work.

In this article, Ian Peate (associate professor at the University of Glasgow Singapore) explains the current status of each of these pillars and how an integrated approach to address the institutional and individual challenges that can impact on the uptake of health activities is necessary.

Read the article on pages 564–567, here.

British Journal of Nursing (January 2022 issue)

“Global data indicates that 1.8 million children (aged 0–14 years) were living with HIV in 2019 (UNAIDS, 2021).”

Young people’s artwork made at a Children’s HIV Association camp

Why should we tell children they are HIV positive? Why are children not told they are HIV positive? Why does telling children they are HIV positive matter at all?

This interesting article explores the evidence and presents a commentary based on current ‘naming’ practice — the process of informing a child who is HIV positive of their diagnosis — across the globe.

It reports on the viewpoints of four professionals from four countries, following an online discussion meeting arranged to debate current practices and future steps in naming HIV to children.

Read the article on pages 60–65, here.

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*All reading room links to access the articles are valid until 1st February 2024*