World AIDS Day 2025: Where We Stand and Where We Go From Here

As World AIDS Day 2025 arrives, I pause to reflect on the journey we have traveled and the road that still lies ahead. HIV has shaped my life in ways that are deeply personal and profoundly transformative. It is not just a diagnosis. It is a call to action. It is a story of resilience, advocacy, and the unwavering pursuit of equity in healthcare.

Yet the numbers remind us that the fight is far from over. According to UNAIDS, by the end of 2024 the world lost 630,000 individuals to HIV and AIDS related illnesses. Globally, 40.8 million people were living with HIV, and 1.3 million became newly diagnosed in 2024 alone. While AIDS related deaths have declined by 70 percent since their peak in 2004, progress has slowed and we remain far from the 2025 target of reducing new infections below 370,000 annually.

The State of HIV Today

We live in an era of remarkable scientific progress. Antiretroviral therapy has transformed HIV from a fatal disease into a manageable condition. Pre exposure prophylaxis and long-acting injectable treatments have given us powerful tools for prevention. Self-testing kits and telehealth have expanded access to care in ways that were unimaginable decades ago.

But science alone cannot end the epidemic. Stigma, inequity, and systemic barriers continue to fuel new infections and prevent people from accessing lifesaving treatment. In many communities, especially among LGBTQ individuals, people of color, and older adults, HIV remains a silent crisis. Ending the epidemic requires dismantling these barriers and ensuring that every person, regardless of who they are or where they live, has access to care.

The Challenges We Face

The challenges are not only medical. They are social, cultural, and structural. Stigma still kills. It keeps people from getting tested. It keeps people from seeking care. It forces people to live in silence and fear. Education is the antidote to stigma, yet in many places open discussion about sexual health is restricted or discouraged. This silence is dangerous.

One of the most troubling realities is that many physicians are not openly discussing sexual health with their patients. Some will not even provide injectable PrEP or HIV treatment. Instead, they refer patients elsewhere. This practice is stigmatizing in itself. It sends a message that HIV care is someone else’s responsibility. It reinforces shame and fear.

“Stigma does not just live in communities. It lives in exam rooms. When a physician refuses to talk about sexual health or declines to offer PrEP, that silence speaks louder than any words. It tells patients they are judged before they are cared for.”
— Von Biggs

Florida is an opt in state for HIV and STI testing. This means patients must specifically request testing rather than having it offered as a standard part of care. This narrative needs to change. Testing should be routine. It should be normalized. It should be part of every patient’s healthcare experience without judgment or hesitation.

Through grants like Gilead’s FOCUS program, hospitals are starting to change the needle on the move to diagnose and treat. FOCUS enables emergency departments and urgent care centers to implement routine HIV and hepatitis screening and immediate linkage to care. In Florida, the program is helping scale routine testing in emergency rooms, including Holy Cross Health, where opt out testing is becoming standard practice.

But stigma still stands in the way. Sometimes the mere act of looking at a person leads a medical professional to make assumptions and avoid asking the question. This is unacceptable. Every patient deserves the same standard of care.

The Missing Link: Medical Protocols

Medical protocols for HIV prevention and treatment must be in place across all healthcare settings. These protocols should guide providers on how to offer PrEP, how to initiate antiretroviral therapy, and how to integrate HIV testing into routine care. Yet in some cases these protocols are nonexistent. This gap leaves patients vulnerable and perpetuates inequity. Without clear protocols, providers hesitate. They delay. They refer patients elsewhere. And every delay is a missed opportunity to prevent infection or save a life.

Holy Cross Health’s Role

Holy Cross Health is committed to changing this narrative. Through community health programs, emergency department testing initiatives, and partnerships with national organizations, Holy Cross is working to normalize HIV testing and expand access to prevention and treatment. Recent grants, such as the ViiV Positive Action award, have funded networks that connect case managers, peers, and providers to improve care coordination and reduce barriers for people living with HIV. Holy Cross also leads educational outreach in colleges and community spaces, ensuring that conversations about HIV and sexual health are open, honest, and stigma free.

The Move Forward

The path to ending HIV is clear, but it demands bold and coordinated action:

• Expand Access to Prevention and Treatment
• Combat Stigma Through Education
• Address Aging and HIV
• Invest in Community Led Solutions
• Leverage Innovation
• Establish and Enforce Medical Protocols

“We cannot end the HIV epidemic with opt in testing and optional conversations. Testing must be routine. Care must be universal. And compassion must be non-negotiable.”
— Von Biggs

A Global Commitment

The Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative is not just a slogan. It is a mandate. It calls for reducing new HIV infections by 90 percent and achieving viral suppression for all who are diagnosed. It calls for equity, compassion, and urgency. It calls for us to act now.

World AIDS Day is not only a day of remembrance. It is a day of recommitment. We honor those we have lost by fighting harder for those still here. We honor their memory by refusing to accept complacency. We honor their lives by building a future where HIV is history.

My Personal Reflection

As someone living with HIV, I know what stigma feels like. I know what fear feels like. I also know what hope feels like. Hope is in the science. Hope is in the advocacy. Hope is in the communities that refuse to give up. Hope is in every person who says, “We will end this epidemic.”

This is where we stand. This is where we move forward. And this is how we win.

 

About the Author

Von Biggs is the Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator for Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is a national speaker, advocate, and educator on HIV prevention, treatment, and LGBTQ health. Von serves in leadership roles on multiple HIV advocacy networks and is recognized as one of South Florida’s leading voices in LGBTQ health equity.