National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD) 2019 is Sunday, March 10. This year marks the 14th annual observation. The event is spearheaded by the Office on Women’s Health, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

According to WomensHealth.org, NWGHAAD’s theme is “HIV Prevention Starts With Me.” The idea behind the message is that everyone—community groups, folks living with HIV, men, women, family members, churches, neighbors—can play a role in HIV prevention.

In 2017, women accounted for one in five new HIV diagnoses. Most cases among women are a result of heterosexual contact (87 percent) and injection drug use (12 percent), according to an NWGHAAD fact sheet. In total, about 235,000 women and girls in the United States are living with the virus.

To learn more about women’s unique challenges regarding HIV, visit this page of WomensHealth.org. The site also offers sample tweets and Facebook posts as well as ideas for events and activities you can host to raise awareness about this topic.

On social media, search #NWGHAAD to follow the conversation. You’ll find posts like those included in this news article.

For a roundup of articles in POZ about women and HIV, click #Women. It includes details for a March 12 webinar by The Well Project on “Women, Gender and Sexuality.”