December 1, 2022 is World Aids Day, organized in many countries including France. The opportunity to recall the importance of HIV testing. Definition and timetable of the actions carried out.
The December 1, 2022 is devoted to World AIDS Day. The opportunity for health authorities like Public health France or the partner Associations of the event such as Sidaction to call back the importance of HIV testingwhich remains still insufficient. In 2021, 5.7 million HIV serologies were performed by medical biology laboratories. This figure, which had decreased by 13% between 2019 and 2020 in connection with the COVID-19 epidemic, is up 8% compared to 2020 (5.3 million), but remains lower than that of 2019 (6.1 million), reports Public Health France. Currently, there are many obstacles to screening : they are structural (geographical or financial accessibility), organizational (however it is possible to test in the laboratory without an appointment) or even emotional (risk of stigmatization and discrimination in the event of a positive result). Today, 38 million people are living with HIV worldwide, of which more than 2/3 in the African Region.
What is World AIDS Day?
The World Day Against Like has been established in 1988 by theWorld Health Organization (WHO), during of the Summit of Ministers of Health, and endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly. Every year is an opportunity toa worldwide mobilization against HIV/AIDS, where information, prevention and awareness-raising actions are carried out. This day also represents a day of memory and remembrance in honor of those who died of the disease.
What are the objectives of World AIDS Day?
This day focuses on the importance of HIV testing which is intended to :
► Enable early diagnosis of HIV
► Allow better access to antiretroviral treatments. Antiviral treatment stops HIV from multiplying and can clear the virus from the blood. It thus allows the patient’s immune system to recover, overcome infections and prevent the development of AIDS and other long-term effects of HIV infection.
► Limit the risk of transmission to partners
► And by extension, fight against discrimination linked to HIV seropositivity
“To know his serological statusmeans being able to benefit from antiretroviral treatments allowing you to live like everyone else. The earlier HIV infection is diagnosed, the greater the benefits of treatmentwhether at the individual or collective level, thus making it possible to fight against the transmission of HIV“, recalls Florence Lot of the infectious diseases department of Public Health France.
What is the date of World AIDS Day?
World AIDS Day takes place every year on 1st December. This symbolic day should be distinguished from Sidaction Medias, fundraising weekend of the Sidaction associationwhich takes place in spring.
Calendar: what are the actions carried out for this Day of the fight against AIDS?
► Sidaction’s “Tubes that protect” campaign to raise awareness among people over 50 to the issue of HIV/AIDS. This campaign revolves aroundartists and their lyricists who have agreed to rewrite and re-record their great classics (Banana Split, Du Côté de Chez Swann, Partenaire Particulier, Macumba and Les Démons de Minuit) by including a message of awareness and prevention.
► Dissemination of the campaign “Living with HIV is first to live” by Public Health France, on the effectiveness of treatments against HIV allowing HIV-positive people to live in good health and not transmit the virus to their partners. The system, visible since November 18, 2022, includes a press (paper and online) and poster campaign, editorial partnerships and a digital component, with in particular the distribution on the Netflix platform of the video “Letter to myself”. This video is available in short versions on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and specialized sites.
► “Push for Equality” campaign led by UNAIDS, which invites each and every one of us to fight against the inequalities that impede progress towards ending AIDS. The photos and videos shared by the groups on social media and aggregated by UNAIDS will allow the public to see the multitude of demonstrations organized in the spirit of determination and hope.
World AIDS Day 2022 posters
Public Health France has designed several posters for its campaign “Living with HIV is first to live” on the occasion of World AIDS Day on December 1, 2022. Here are some of them.
Where can I find information about HIV testing?
Since January 1, 2022, the HIV screening test is simplified. It is possible in a city laboratory :
- without upfront costs
- without prescription
- without an appointment.
Several information and prevention sites dedicated to HIV and STIs can provide information on screening:
► QUESTIONSEXUALITE : Public Health France information site on sexual health intended for the entire adult population.
► SEXOSAFE : site aimed at men who have sex with men (MSM) and offers information and tools for their sexual health.
► ONSEXPRIME : educational and fun site on issues related to sexuality for teenagers.
Sources : DECEMBER 1 – WORLD AIDS DAY, SIDACTION / Public Health France / UNAIDS “World AIDS Day 2022”.