Wear the red ribbon

Spread awareness and show solidarity with the 40 million people, like Beatrice and Miguel, who are living with HIV around the world.

Awareness is vital not only to prevent the spread of HIV, but also to reduce the additional suffering caused by social stigma and ignorance about living with the virus. Take Miguel. His entire family turned their backs on him when they learned he was HIV positive. At one point, he lost almost a third of his body weight. But he has made a full recovery. Only now that he is much better has his family accepted him.

Miguel's story inspired Beatrice - also HIV positive - to turn her life around:

[After hearing Miguel's story] I regained the will to live. I wanted to be strong again and to move on. Half the battle with HIV is psychological. The drugs do work but you also need to be mentally strong. You need to have courage and determination to beat the disease.

Beatrice, HIV counsellor

And now she is spreading that awareness and helping to turn other people's lives around. Beatrice now counsels and cares for other people who are HIV positive, showing them by living example that with the right care and medicines, it is very much possible to lead a full and healthy life.

How to get a red ribbon

• Red ribbons are available from a range of shops and department stores
• Add a virtual ribbon to your website
• Add a World AIDS Day application to your Facebook profile

You can find details of all these, including a list of high street stockists on the World AIDS Day website.

If you are an existing Oxfam donor, you will have received a red ribbon through the post. We hope you will wear it with pride.

Related links

• Watch our special feature from Angola
• Give to our World AIDS Day Appeal
• Click to send our campaign action to the UK government