AIDS Alliance for Women, Infants, Children, Youth & Families Commemorates National Women and Girls
HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 
Hope Health, and Healing: Overcoming Barriers to
HIV/AIDS Treatment for Women and Girls 

Washington, DC – As we commemorate National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the AIDS Alliance for Women, Infants, Children, Youth & Families (AIDS Alliance) calls attention to the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls, who account for a sizable portion of new infections. This day serves as a reminder that we must work together to foster environments of empathy, compassion, and support by addressing stigma and promoting inclusive healthcare.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention data, (2021) women accounted for 23% of people living with HIV in the U.S. and represented 20% of new diagnoses, with the majority of new diagnoses occurring among women aged 25 to 44. Although HIV diagnoses decreased among women overall from 2015 to 2019, disparities in HIV continue as Black women accounted for 54% of the new HIV diagnoses in 2019 and the South has more diagnoses of HIV infection among women and girls than any other region.

“Stigma remains one of the most significant barriers to addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic among women and girls,” commented Dr. Ivy Turnbull, Deputy Executive Director of AIDS Alliance. “The isolation and stigma that women and girls experience upon diagnosis often prevent them from seeking treatment, support, and essential care. We must continue to break down these barriers and ensure that no woman or girl is left behind in our collective efforts to end HIV.”

Through a grant from ViiV Healthcare twenty-eight (28) community-based organizations and leaders across the country,with the highest burden of HIV as highlighted in the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America were funded under our Women Informing Now (WIN) Micro-Grant and Innovative Leaders Initiative. These WIN funded grantees will implement innovative approaches designed to breakdown isolation and stigma for women of color living with HIV across the gender spectrum.

“We are excited to work in partnership with the 2025 WIN micro-grantees and innovator leaders said Dr. Turnbull, to improve HIV-related health outcomes among this cohort of the population as these grantees implement innovative approaches to address HIV in their respective communities.”

This year’s observance encourages a renewed commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic while addressing the unique needs and challenges of women and girls, particularly in terms of healthcare access, education, and support systems. It is a moment to bring to light the social isolation and stigma that often accompany an HIV diagnosis, particularly for women and girls who may already face gender-based discrimination, social exclusion, and economic vulnerability. Overcoming barriers to HIV/AIDS treatment for women and girls will result in progress toward the nation’s goal to end the HIV epidemic by 2030.

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