World AIDS Day - December 1, 2008
Thank you for joining AIDS.gov in promoting this important day!
World AIDS Day 2008
On December 1, 2008, AIDS.gov joined thousands of organizations and individuals in recognizing the 20th World AIDS Day. Below are some of the activities AIDS.gov took part in—to learn more about these efforts, please visit our AIDS.gov blog post recap at: http://blog.aids.gov/2008/12/world-aids-day.html.
As we know, HIV and AIDS issues don’t stop after World AIDS Day - worldwide the estimated number of people living with HIV is over 33 million. An estimated one million Americans are living with HIV.
WAYS YOU TOOK ACTION (AND CAN CONTINUE TO TAKE ACTION ALL YEAR!)
Miguel Gomez, Director, AIDS.gov
“Facing AIDS: World AIDS Day 2008” Campaign
By posting a photo of yourself wearing a red ribbon on your social network profile and/or to our World AIDS Day Flickr group 
, you helped reduce the stigma around HIV and AIDS.
Keep up the good work! Consider joining our Facebook page to continue to receive updates about AIDS.gov activities.
Many of you also copied the code and added our Facing AIDS badge to your blog or social network site. We’ve added a “thank you” note so you can use this badge throughout the year.
Blogging Call to Action
AIDS.gov and the National Institute on Drug Abuse partnered with Blog Catalog to invite bloggers to write about HIV/AIDS on December 1. Hundreds of you wrote blog posts.
Continue to spread the word by blogging about HIV and AIDS throughout the year. Visit AIDS.gov or our partners’ websites and subscribe to the AIDS.gov blog for inspiration!
HIV Testing Centers via Text Messaging
You encouraged HIV testing by telling people to find local HIV testing sites by sending a text message with their ZIP code to “KNOWIT” (566948) or visiting www.hivtest.org. You promoted KNOWIT by copying the code at http://www.aids.gov/knowit.html and pasting it on your profile, website, or blog.
Tell more friends—the site and text messaging code works all year round!
World AIDS Day Event in Second Life
You joined us for a World AIDS Day event on the virtual HIV/AIDS island, Karuna, in Second Life.
The island opened to the public on World AIDS Day—and continues to be a source of information and support. For more information, visit the Second Life World AIDS page .
CDC’s New HIV Incidence Data
CDC published national HIV incidence (new infections) in 2008 that showed an estimated 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in 2006—that’s substantially higher than the previous 40,000 estimated annual new infections.
Visit the CDC’s website to learn more.
Get Involved All Year Long
Learn about other National HIV/AIDS Awareness Day activities.