Each national HIV/AIDS observance provides a chance to look at how we are communicating about where we stand in our national response to the HIV epidemic. Today, on National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we look at relevant social media tools from the past and present—and we look to the future of our national response to the domestic HIV epidemic.

The Early Years: Blogging

Over the years, like others, HIV.gov has regularly blogged about this observance. Check out this post from 2014 and other posts about national health observances.

The Mid Years: Video

As new media became increasingly visual, and as National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day grew, HIV.gov began to use video to share key HIV messages. Here’s a brief video from 2010, in which Lance Toma of the Banyan Tree Project (BTP) talks about the importance of the observance Exit Disclaimer. As the community lead for this observance, BTP has produced (and continues to create) many videos that speak about the impact of HIV Exit Disclaimer on Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community members.

Today: Tweeting and Locating

As a digital communication tool, Twitter offers real-time interaction. To follow and join today’s conversation, we encourage you to use the hashtag #APIMay19Exit Disclaimer.

Need facts about HIV among Asian and Pacific Islanders? You can visit the the HIV.gov awareness day page and the CDC feature page. While we’ve been promoting the Locator for a long time, the message is as relevant now as it has ever has been: Know your HIV status and get the care and treatment you need. Simply enter your ZIP code to find convenient testing and care.

Digital Communication and the Future

Digital tools are always evolving, and we continue to adopt new ones to support effective HIV prevention, testing, and treatment.

A recent example: Our blog readers know that HIV.gov has partnered with the White House Office of National AIDS Policy - also known as an ideation tool—where people can offer suggestions to make the NHAS more effective.

Have you thought about adding your ideas about the NHAS? You can also view other people’s comments and vote for your favorites. That conversation continues until May 22—please join it and help shape the future!

What digital communication tools will you use to observe National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day?