Act Against AIDS
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Combatting Complacency about HIV/AIDS in the U.S.
CDC is now into its third year of the Act Against AIDS (AAA) campaign, and there are many exciting activities underway.
Act Against AIDS is a 5-year national communication campaign launched in 2009 by CDC and the White House to combat complacency about HIV and AIDS in the United States. In its first 2 years, the Act Against AIDS campaign, along with its targeted sub-campaigns and its many partners, generated more than 2.1 billion media impressions. The AAA Second Year-End Report [1.4 MB, 8 pages] provides additional highlights on the media campaigns, events, supporting research, and partnerships that have made the continued growth of AAA possible.
Act Against AIDS Campaigns
AAA comprises several HIV prevention campaigns and the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI). Activities are focused on raising HIV and AIDS awareness among all Americans and reducing the risk of HIV infection among the hardest-hit populations. Although each campaign has its own goals and target audiences, all of the campaigns support the prevention-focused goals of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).
Testing Makes Us Stronger
Building on the previous campaign for black gay and bisexual men, called Know Where You Stand, the most recent Act Against AIDS campaign,Testing Makes Us Stronger, was launched nationally on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2011. This campaign is targeted to black gay and bisexual men, and stresses the importance of HIV testing so that individuals can learn their own HIV status, make more informed decisions about their own health care, and also take steps to protect their partners. Campaign launch events with local health departments and community organizations are being held this year in Atlanta, New York, Houston, Oakland, Baltimore, and Washington, DC. In addition, Testing Makes Us Stronger will also have a presence at Black Pride events occurring across the country this summer.
Take Charge. Take the Test.
Launched in conjunction with National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the Take Charge. Take the Test.campaign encourages HIV testing among African American women. CDC is working with local health departments to rollout and promote the campaign in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Memphis, Newark, New Orleans, Hyattsville, MD, and St. Louis. Take Charge. Take the Test. helps African American women recognize their risk of getting HIV and the need for HIV testing.
Health Care Provider Campaigns
In addition to campaigns for members of the public and persons at risk for HIV infection, Act Against AIDS developed the HIV Screening. Standard Care., Prevention IS Care, and One Test. Two Lives. campaigns to encourage health care professionals to incorporate HIV prevention counseling into routine health care, to screen their patients for HIV, and to provide resources for their patients living with HIV.
Key Partnerships
Partner efforts that have been critical to the success of AAA by extending the reach of the campaign and its initiatives, including the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI), Greater Than AIDS, and GBCHealth (formerly known as the Global Business on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria). For example, AAALI partners have conducted more than 1,000 HIV-related briefings, chapter trainings, workshops and outreach events that were attended by nearly 500,000 people. More than 13,000 attendees received HIV tests at one of these events. Additional partner outreach efforts are included in the Second Year-End Report’s [1.4 MB, 8 pages] timeline of 2010–2011 campaign partner activities.
Downloadable Campaign Materials
Act Against AIDS campaign materials are available for downloading and ordering for use in any setting including health departments, community clinics, and private health care practices. Materials include fact sheets, 
brochures, and posters as well as on-line resources such as website banners, badges, and buttons. Whether you want these important prevention messages to reach members of the public, persons at increased risk for HIV infection, those living with HIV and AIDS, health care providers, or other stakeholders, CDC has valuable resources you can use to Act Against AIDS. These materials can be found in the Campaign Materials section.
Future Campaigns
In addition to the important campaigns and activities that DHAP has underway through Act Against AIDS, several new campaigns are in development and will further Act Against AIDS efforts to raise HIV and AIDS awareness and reduce the risk of HIV infection among the hardest-hit populations including African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. DHAP looks forward to sharing information about these campaigns with you in the future.
For More Information
For More Information
More information about the Act Against AIDS campaign is available.
- Page last reviewed: March 19, 2012
- Page last updated: March 19, 2012
- Content source:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Page maintained by: Division of Public Affairs (DPA), Office of the Associate Director for Communication (OADC)