HIV Vaccine Awareness Day: May 18

May 18 is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. Despite much research, there is still not a vaccine for HIV/AIDS. All Americans, especially communities of color and men who have sex with men, need to learn more about HIV vaccine research in order to make an HIV vaccine a reality.

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD) is a day to recognize and thank the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, and scientists who are working together to find a safe and effective HIV vaccine. It is also a day to educate the community about the importance of preventative HIV vaccine research.

Where to get the facts on HIV vaccination

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health have developed specific brochures and fact sheets to download to find out further information about HIV vaccine research, how vaccines work, and how to get involved in HIV vaccine research and trials.

Make sure to also visit Be the Generation, the National Institutes of Health. Here you can take a vaccine quiz, watch videos by people working on this important research, and get the latest information on where HIV vaccine research stands. You can also read more about HVAD at the AIDS.gov blog.

Together, we can be the generation that ends the AIDS epidemic.

Where can I get tested?

Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center provides free HIV testing on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. To schedule an appointment, please call (415) 292-3400.

To find other testing sites throughout the country, text/SMS your zip code to KNOWIT (566948) or visit HIVTest.org.