5 easy ways to mark World Aids Day

From visiting a kissing booth to getting tested

(JUNI KRISWANTOJUNI KRISWANTO/AFP/Getty Images)

Over 30 years since HIV/AIDs was first identified, people around the world are marking World Aids Day to raise awareness about the misunderstood disease.

From colourful parades in the Philippines, candle-lit vigils in Indonesia, and protests in India, people are remembering those lost to the virus and working to break down myths which harm those living with it.

Around 36.9 million people are currently living with HIV - including 2.6 million children - with an estimated 2 million people being infected in 2014 alone.

Thanks to mediciation, HIV is no longer a death sentence. But ignorance and access to medicine means it is still hard to contain, particularly in poor nations.

In September, the UN agreed to commit to a set of global goals to end the Aids epidemic by 2030.

Here are a few ways you can mark World Aids Day.

Learn about the disease

Misinformation and ignorance about HIV/AIDs prevents people from protecting themselves from the virus and makes the lives of those living with it uncessarily difficult.

The infamous TV advert released in the 1980s which warned of “danger that is a threat to us all” and told people not to “die of ignorance” is often cited as one of many damaging approaches to tackling the virus.

Test your knowledge about virus with this World Aids Day quiz.

Get tested

Some people who contract the virus will have flu-like symptoms shortly after, and then do not see any further signs for years. Therefore the only way to be sure whether you are HIV-negative is to take a test.

A blood test to detect unusual levels of anti-biodies, antigen and the presence of the virus is the most common method.

If someone feels they may have contracted HIV, they can take a Post-exposure Prophylaxis treatment up to 72 hours after to help to stop the infection.

Buy a red ribbon

A red ribbon is a universal symbol of awareness and support for those living with HIV, and is the inspiration for the pink breast cancer ribbon, according to World Aids Day.

It was developed in 1991 by a group of 12 artists who gathered to discuss a project for Visual Aids, an awareness-raising group in New York.

1 December is World AIDs Day (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Visit a kissing booth

The National Aids Trust has set up a kissing booth in Soho Square in London on 1 December from 1pm to 3pm to spread the message that “kissing doesn’t spread HIV, ignorance does”.

There is no need to book and you don't need to pay.

Spread the word on social media

A simple tweet dispelling a myth might open someone’s eyes to the realities of HIV. Follow the link for suggested tweets from World Aids Day, including facts about medicine, and how the disease is and isn’t spread.