AIDS-Fondet was founded in 1985 and is firmly rooted in the activism that grew out of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s in Denmark.

The foundation is shaped by the despair, the indignation, and ultimately the resolution to act by those who were affected directly or indirectly by the epidemic in the early days.

Historically the foundation has had inclusion at its heart and the fight against structures that perpetuate, legitimize or apologise for stigma and discrimination permeates everything the foundation does.

AIDS-Fondet is guided by the principle “Nothing About Us Without Us” and Key Populations are represented at most levels in the organization. This helps shape a strong conscience against stigma and discrimination. Moreover it helps us constantly check the norm against our lived realities which becomes key to all of the work that AIDS-Fondet does.

AIDS-Fondet runs clinics for sexual health (Checkpoints) in major cities, offering counselling and testing for HIV and other veneral diseases to everyone between 15 and 29 years of age and for the LGBT+ community at large.

We work in close collaboration with the Danish authorities – national bodies as well as local government structures – and also offer a handful of services related to sexual health and wellbeing including comprehensive sexuality education and onsite testing.

For four decades AIDS-Fondet has been offering grants to researchers enabling them to pursue scientific studies relevant to HIV and AIDS – studies carried out over the years range from anthropological to medicinal and quite a few things in between.

AIDS-Fondet was founded in 1985 to tackle AIDS in Denmark at a time when it was a global pandemic. At a time when there was no effective medication, there was uncertainty about how HIV was transmitted, there were misunderstandings, misinformation, discrimination, and stigmatization of people living with HIV.

AIDS-Fondet – and other like-minded organizations – have made tremendous progress in Denmark since then. And we have gained significant experience over the years. And as the number of new infections went down in Denmark, and people living with HIV got access to medication, AIDS-Fondet looked outside Denmark’s borders to places where HIV was more stubborn and where progress was slow. The fight against HIV was and is not won.

Because it is not over anywhere, until it is over everywhere.

We may not have a vaccine against HIV and we may not be able to cure AIDS – but we can stop HIV and AIDS.