WASHINGTON, DC – Today, as HIV programs face funding cuts and partisan attacks, Advocates for Youth honors National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD) and the young people advocating for HIV prevention, treatment, and care nationwide. 

A project of the national youth activism and reproductive and sexual health nonprofit Advocates for Youth, NYHAAD is commemorated annually on April 10th to urge policymakers and the public to take action regarding the impact of HIV and AIDS on young people, and to highlight the HIV prevention, treatment, and care campaigns of young people in the U.S.

U.S. Representative Mark Pocan and Senator Richard Blumenthal introduced the National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day House Resolution highlighting how HIV disproportionately impacts young people of color, condemning stigma and criminalization of HIV, and calling on government officials to support youth-friendly and accessible health services. 

 

“Thank you to Representative Pocan and the many champions in Congress who work tirelessly to bring attention to the ongoing challenges facing young people living with HIV,” said Debra Hauser, President of Advocates for Youth. “Young people must be able to access information about their bodies and health care that allows them to reach their potential, without barriers, stigma, or fear. We urge elected officials to step up to protect HIV prevention, treatment and care for all.”

Advocates selected nearly 60 youth activists for this year’s NYHAAD Ambassadors cohort. Each Ambassador leads an individual campaign increasing empathy and reducing stigma about HIV and its impact on young people, urging local healthcare professionals to become HIV Prevention Certified Providers, urging university deans to introduce affirming policies around HIV care, treatment, and prevention, and calling on state and local policymakers to introduce resolutions and proclamations uplifting the day.

“Sincerely, I want young people living with HIV to know that they are not alone and are just as valuable as anyone else. They are loved, supported, and capable of creating change. HIV does not mean being sick or unclean,” said AJ, youth activist with ECHO, a project of Advocates for Youth.

“Young people are not disposable,” said Armonté Butler, Associate Director of LGBTQ Health and Rights at Advocates for Youth. “This year, NYHAAD is a call to action and a declaration that youth deserve access, care, and the power to shape the future of the HIV response. We will not be silenced.”

For more information about National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day and Week of Action, including a toolkit, fact sheet, and registration link for a virtual roundtable with youth ambassadors, please visit Advocates for Youth’s NYHAAD webpage. 

 

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Advocates for Youth is a 501(c)3 organization that champions efforts that help young people make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates for Youth boldly advocates for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health, focusing its work on young people ages 14-24 in the U.S. and around the globe. 

For Immediate Release: April 10, 2025

Contact: Eleanor Naiman, eleanor.naiman@advocatesforyouth.org