From the HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau Bulletin - 6/9/25
HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Recognizes HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day
On June 5, HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day, we recognize and celebrate the unique experiences and resilience of HIV long-term survivors who have lived through many years managing and thriving with the chronic condition of HIV.
HIV long-term survivors include people who have lived with HIV for 10 years or more; adults who acquired HIV through perinatal transmission and have been living with the virus since birth or early childhood; and individuals diagnosed before the availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 1996. People living with HIV since birth or early childhood face unique challenges, including lifelong medication management and navigating the transition from pediatric to adult care. Many long-term survivors experienced the early years of the epidemic firsthand, losing friends, family members, and entire communities before effective treatment was available. In the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP), many clients are long-term survivors—and in 2023, over 50 percent of RWHAP clients were aged 55 or older.
Across the country, RWHAP providers have developed innovative programs specifically for long-term survivors, including comprehensive case management that links clients to aging-related services, specialized support groups to address social isolation and depression, peer-to-peer programs that connect survivors who acquired HIV perinatally for mutual support, and mental health counseling designed for the challenges long-term survivors may face. The RWHAP provides care that helps clients manage their medications and overall well-being.
As we recognize this important day, let us continue to address the needs of HIV long-term survivors through RWHAP core medical and support services; strengthen our commitment to aging with HIV care through existing and future trainings available through the RWHAP Part F AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) Program; and share stories of resilience and celebrate the contributions of long-term survivors. Additionally, let’s acknowledge the dedicated providers who have journeyed alongside their clients for decades, adapting their care approaches and growing with changes in treatment, outcomes, and community needs over time. Their perspective and long-standing commitment remain vital to the program’s continued success.
Read the blog, I Am a Long-term Survivor of HIV.