HIV Long Term Survivors Awareness Day (HTSAD) was first observed in 2014. On this day we honor long-term survivors of HIV and raise awareness about their changing needs, developing issues, and lived journeys. The annual commemoration on June 5 coincides with the anniversary of the first official reporting of what became known as the AIDS epidemic on June 5, 1981.
Today, HIV Long-Term Survivors (HLTS) represent a diverse group of people, including:
- People diagnosed with HIV before the advent of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy or HAART in 1996.
- People who acquired HIV at birth or as young children, also known as lifetime survivors of HIV or Dandelions.
This June 5 (2025) will mark 44 years since the reporting of the epidemic and the 11th HLTSAD, and on this day, close to half of people living with HIV in the Queensland are over the age of 50, and this number is set to only rise. Yet, with aging comes new challenges. Many long time survivors already live with at least one age-related medical condition. These statistics underscore an ever present issue that demands careful attention and sustained vigilance.
Whilst World AIDS Day is a time to reflect on the loss impacts of HIV has had on our community, our families, and our loved ones, HLTSAD is to look to the future and set the agenda and priorities for moving forward and take action to make changes.
This year, in the lead up to this HIV Long Term Survivors Awareness Day, we gathered some thoughts and reflections from a cross generational selection of members from our Queensland community, to celebrate those who paved the way, and connect our community through shared respect and storytelling.
Long-term brothers and sisters: You are pioneers and trailblazers for younger generations. Your strength and long-term survival give us immense confidence and hope. As a young HIV-positive man. We will follow your example—working to build a resilient, united community with the courage to call out stigma and discrimination. With reason, compassion, and education, we will challenge the harm it causes and continue the legacy you’ve so powerfully begun.
To our long-term survivors: Your courage, grief, and resilience built the foundation of our community. We honour your journey, remember your losses, and stand with you in deep gratitude and solidarity.
You carried us through unimaginable times with courage, compassion, and care. When the world turned away, you turned toward each other—and toward us. Your resilience shaped the future we live in now. Your legacy lives on in every life you’ve lifted, every injustice you’ve challenged, and every truth you’ve told.
Long-term brothers and sisters: You are pioneers and trailblazers for younger generations. Your strength and long-term survival give us immense confidence and hope. As a young HIV-positivAs a young person living with HIV, I didn’t just admire Garth Wong—I learned from him. More than a survivor, he was a mentor and the heart of our community. He made space for us to feel seen and valued. His legacy isn’t just in what he did, it’s in the way he made all of us feel like we belonged. I carry that forward with pride and purpose he inspired.e man. We will follow your example—working to build a resilient, united community with the courage to call out stigma and discrimination. With reason, compassion, and education, we will challenge the harm it causes and continue the legacy you’ve so powerfully begun.
Attending the Brisbane BBQ gave me a powerful insight into the lives of long-term survivors. I once complained about pill burden. Garth sat down and gently reminded what real pill burden looked like, nine saquinavir and 30 more pills to manage the side effects. He was grateful; those pills brought him back from skin and bone. There was no dignity in being a walking skeleton, he said. It was ironic that the meds that saved him in the 1980s contributed to his death decades later. Garth was living history, brave, unshakeable, and wise. His legacy continues to light our way forward.
