Getting To Zero: 13 Steps To An AIDS-Free Generation

Globally, 35 million people have HIV and for World AIDS Day 2015, learn what you can do to help create an AIDS-free generation.

1. Promote gender equality and women's empowerment:

USAID

Women are disproportionately affected by HIV compared with men.

2. Fight gender based violence:

AIDSFree

28-38% of girls report unwanted sexual experiences before age 18.

3. Encourage testing:

AIDSFree

55% of people living with HIV do not know their status.

4. Improve the quality of HIV testing services in order to reach more people living with HIV

USAID

5. Stop mother-to-child transmissions:

USAID

900,000 children have remained HIV free since 2009 because of mothers getting the right treatment at the right time.

6. Use condoms to prevent the spread of HIV and other STIs

AIDSFree

7. Improve the quality and effectiveness of prevention programming for adolescent girls and youth:

USAID

7000 adolescent girls in eastern and southern Africa are infected with HIV every week.

8. Increase gender-equitable access to education, income and healthcare:

AIDSFree

Gender-equitable access to income, education, and HIV services, such as prevention, testing, and treatment can be the difference between life and death.

9. Educate others about the success of voluntary medical male circumcision:

USAID

This reduces the risk of contracting HIV by up to 70%.

10. Celebrate progress:

AIDSFree

Death rates of AIDS has fallen by 42% since 2004

11. Support prevention and treatment research and the search for an HIV vaccine

Dominic Chavez/World Bank

12. Fight the stigma: anyone can contract HIV

World Bank

There are multiple ways to contract HIV, from sex to blood transfusions and any person at any age is susceptible.

13. Know that HIV can be managed with Medication

USAID

Antiretroviral therapy has turned HIV into a chronic illness.

This World AIDS Day, add your voice to the cause. Tweet with #WAD2015 to show your support for an #AIDSFreeGen.