World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV. The UK theme for World AIDS Day 2009 will focus on the reality of HIV in the UK today. The aim is to present true, and sometimes surprising, accounts of how HIV affects people in the UK and to dispel myths and misinformation.

The slogan for World AIDS Day 2009 is, HIV: Reality.  And the call to action is: Discover the real stories about HIV in the UK today. Understanding the facts is the key to fighting prejudice and protecting yourself and others. HIV: Reality builds on last year’s popular Respect & Protect theme and this strapline remains a component of this year’s execution. NAT’s research has shown that public knowledge of HIV in the UK is declining and there is evidence of a worrying lack of understanding about HIV and its relevance in a UK context. For people to respect and protect themselves and others, they need to understand the facts and reality of HIV in the UK.

There is a strong link between our creative approach and the World AIDS Campaign’s focus this year on ‘living my rights’. We will be drawing on the international theme of “Universal Access and Human Rights”, particularly on our World AIDS day website, and will highlight the importance of universal access to information, prevention and testing for people at risk of infection.

NAT develops and manages the UK's website for World AIDS Day, www.worldaidsday.org, which gives people the opportunity to find out more about the realities of HIV in the UK and participate by taking part in an event, raising money or educating others. For further information visit www.worldaidsday.org.

A full range of “HIV: Reality” resources are available from NAT at https://shop.nat.org.uk.