Mayor Bowser and DC Health Highlight Resources for Residents on World AIDS Day

(Washington, DC) – Today, in recognition of World AIDS Day, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Department of Health (DC Health) are highlighting free resources available to all residents to help prevent HIV/AIDS and provide treatment options that are convenient, confidential, and easy to access. Observed annually on December 1, World AIDS Day serves as a global reminder of the importance of HIV testing, prevention, treatment, and community support.

“World AIDS Day is a reminder that prevention, early care, and community support save lives,” said Dr. Ayanna Bennett, Director of DC Health. “Through testing, treatment, and education, we can continue driving down new HIV cases and ensure that every resident has the opportunity to live a long, healthy life.”

DC Health continues to offer a wide range of free services to support residents’ sexual health and wellness. A number of free and confidential resources that help individuals know their status, prevent HIV or STIs, or treat HIV are available. Important resources include:

• Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) is a free, emergency medication taken to prevent HIV and has to be started within 72 hours of a possible exposure. People who are HIV-negative and think they were exposed to HIV can call the DC PEP Hotline at (202) 299-3PEP (3737) to speak with an expert and caring medical provider. They will then be able to pick up their initial PEP medications from select Walgreens pharmacies in DC. Mayor Bowser and DC Health launched the PEP hotline in 2021 to provide 24/7 access to free PEP. 
• Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a safe, daily pill that prevents you from contracting HIV. PrEP is for people who are HIV negative and vulnerable to getting HIV. The DC Health and Wellness Center offers 100% virtual services to get you on PrEP. DC’s TelePrEP program is free, easy, and confidential and can help residents get access to PrEP at no cost. Visit sexualbeing.org for more information or call 202-741-7692 to get started.

In addition to free PEP and PrEP, residents can access the following resources through sexualbeing.org: 

• Condom Delivery 
• At-Home Test Kits 
• Positive Voices Podcast 
• Safe LGBTQ Housing at SMYAL 
• DC Health and Wellness Center (77 P Street NE) 

Additional support, including medical care, case management, and community services for people living with HIV, is available through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, HOPWA housing services, the Pharmacy Benefits Program, and the LinkU database.

According to DC Health, 1.7% of DC residents, approximately 11,842 people, are currently living with HIV. In 2024, the District recorded 192 new cases, continuing a long-term decline of 86% over the past 15 years. Overall, 70% of residents living with HIV were virally suppressed in 2024, a key indicator of health and prevention, and 56% of new cases were linked to care within seven days. Among the women living with HIV who gave birth in 2024, none transmitted HIV to their babies.

More information about the District’s strategies and progress is available at DCEndsHIV.org.

Today, Monday, December 1, and tomorrow, Tuesday, December 2, the community will come together at events across the city to raise awareness, share resources, and support residents in the fight against HIV. Events open to the public include:

World AIDS Day Celebration at MLK Library

Throughout the day, DC residents are invited to a community celebration at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Downtown DC that will feature free HIV testing, live performances, and a resource fair. The event is organized by DC Health, DC Public Library, DC Healthlink, ServeDC, and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.

• When: Monday, December 1 at 12 pm
• Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street NW   

World Premiere of Short Film Come Together: Art’s Power for Change

Following the community celebration, residents are invited to a special film program featuring screenings of Come Together: Art’s Power for Change and Dirty Laundry, followed by a live talkback with actor Terri J. Vaughn and filmmakers Nathan Hale Williams and Crystal McCrary McGuire. The film screening and discussion are organized by the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC), an initiative of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), as a tribute to filmmaker Maurice Jamal, who passed away in April 2023 at the age of 52. While Jamal’s career spanned independent film and television, including The Ski Trip series and Logo Network’s Friends & Lovers, Dirty Laundry remains his most culturally significant work.

A Day With(out) Art 2025: Meet Us Where We’re At…

Join the Lily and Earle M. Pilgrim Art Foundation and Visual AIDS for A Day With(out) Art 2025: Meet Us Where We’re At…, featuring six powerful videos exploring drug use, harm reduction, and the HIV crisis. The program will stream all day, culminating in a community potluck, screening, and conversation.

• When: Monday, December 1 at 6 pm  
• Where: David Bethuel Jamieson Studio House at Walbridge, 3229 Walbridge Place NW 
• RSVP: here 

Grand Opening of the “We the People Community & Wellness Collaborative”  

Hosted in partnership with Damien Ministries, this milestone celebration reflects the global theme “overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response,” and affirms a shared commitment to honoring those affected, strengthening community wellness, and transforming stigma into sustainable action.  

• When: Monday, December 1 at 11:30 am 
• Where: Damien Ministries, 4061 Minnesota Avenue NE  
• Reserve a spot: here 

Voices Series: Memories from the AIDS Epidemic 

Hear from those on the front lines of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 90s and how it affected the Jewish community. Includes access to the LGBTJews in the Federal City exhibit.  

• When: Tuesday, December 2 at 6:30 pm  
• Where: Capital Jewish Museum, 575 3rd Street NW  
• More information: here 

A full list of events is available on the DC Health website: [dchealth.dc.gov/event/world-aids-day-2025]dchealth.dc.gov/event/world-aids-day-2025.