World AIDS Day, December 1st 2009

World AIDS Day is held on December 1st every year. It's an International day to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS around the World. The first World AIDS Day was celebrated on December 1st 1988.

This year’s theme for the day is “human rights and access to treatment”. The theme has been chosen to address the critical need to protect human rights and make HIV prevention, treatment, care and support accessible to all.

The theme acts as a call to countries to remove laws that discriminate against people living with HIV.

Because AIDS is a VIRUS that


attacks the body.

But prejudice, attacks


the soul.



A woman stands among 5000 crosses marking World Aids Day at the Museum Square in Amsterdam December 1, 2009. As World Aids Day is marked today, globally some 33.4 million people were living with HIV and there were some 2 million AIDS-related deaths in 2008 according to UNAIDS.



Bolivia's health minister Ramiro Tapia (C) heads a march during a World AIDS Day event in the centre of La Paz, December 1, 2009.



Students watch a health worker explain the use of a condom on World AIDS Day in Lima, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. (BOM CHICKA WOW WOW! Sorry... bad joke, I know. BROWN CHICKEN BROWN COW!! Again, I'm sorry... I just couldn't help myself. Now, I'll stop.)



Students from the American University of Beirut pose after they lit candles in the shape of the Aids awareness red ribbon, on World Aids Day in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009



The Angel of Independence Monument is lit up in red as part of an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign for World AIDS Day, in Mexico City.



Traditional Bihu dancers participate in an event to mark World AIDS Day in Gauhati, India, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009.

Nearly 2.5 million people in India are infected with HIV, the AIDS virus, but talking about the disease and sexual health issues in general is still largely taboo.



A member of French association "AIDES" displays a red ribbon on the Republic statue at Place de la Republique in Paris.



A red ribbon hangs in front of the White House.

Ignoring something never makes it go away.


* Dirty Talk
* South Africa to treat all HIV Positive babies
* World AIDS Day
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