WORLD AIDS DAY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                

CONTACT:  Jennifer Johnson                                                                                                                               (410) 219-3947 (Office)

 (410) 251-5379 (Cell)

WORLD AIDS DAY

(December 1, 2021, Salisbury, MD) December 1st is the 33rd celebration of World AIDS Day. This year’s theme is “End inequalities. End AIDS,” which highlights the growing inequalities in access to HIV services.  It is known as the longest disease awareness campaign of its kind to run in public health history. This day is dedicated to honor those who died during the AIDs pandemic.

Since this virus was identified in 1984, more than 36 million people have died from HIV/AIDS and there are more than 1.2 million people in the United States living with HIV today. In Wicomico county there have been 14 new cases of HIV as of 2020 bringing the county’s positivity rate to 18.5 percent. Worldwide, 37.7 million people are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 680,000 have died in 2020 from HIV-related causes, and 1.5 million people were infected with HIV in 2020.

HIV is a preventable disease. Some ways to prevent contracting HIV is to wear a condom made from latex. If you are allergic to latex avoid using lambskin condoms because they do not protect against STIs/STD.  It is essential to get tested before and after a new partner. 

 

You CAN get HIV from:	You CANNOT get HIV from:
●      Dirty needles (IV drug use or tattoo needles)	●      Sitting next to someone with HIV
●      Anal, oral, and vaginal sex	●      From mosquitoes
●      Breast milk	●      Donating blood at a blood bank
●      Semen, vaginal fluids, or any other bodily fluids containing access to the bloodstream
●      Mother to baby

For more information on testing or to make an appointment, please visit www.wicomicohealth.org or call (410) 543-6943

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