We – the communities living with and impacted by HIV, women in all our diversity, transgender and non-binary people, young people and all marginalized key populations, refuse to be reduced to passive recipients of care. We must be the architects of our own health, well-being and survival. When clinics bolted their doors, we became the lifeline. When laws institutionalized our exclusion, we built our own sanctuary. At the 2026 HLM, we are not asking for a seat at the table—we are reclaiming the table. Our health belongs in our hands. Self-care empowers us to act. Self-care is our bodily autonomy in action, our political resistance, and the only path to a world without AIDS.
In the HIV movement, self-care is not just a health practice, but a hard-won political right born from 1980s activism. It emerged when marginalized communities, facing government neglect and medical paternalism, organized to take control of their own health and survival.
Civil society organizations are urging the UN General Assembly HLM on HIV/AIDS to prioritize self-care by transitioning care from traditional facility-based models to person-centered, self-led approaches and interventions. Key demands include integrating self-care into national health policies, expanding access to HIV self-testing, and empowering individuals while protecting their rights and ensuring community-led delivery.
As preparations for the 2026 UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on HIV/AIDS intensify, the demand for self-care has evolved from a medical option to a fundamental community right.