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In observance of World AIDS Day on December 1, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is joining local partners in recognizing the achievements made in HIV Prevention. World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS-related illness. This year’s theme is “Putting Ourselves to the Test: Achieving Equity to End HIV.” Ending the HIV epidemic requires us to recognize and address the social challenges and health disparities that block marginalized groups from equal access to services.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in seven people in the United States who have HIV don’t know that they are HIV positive.