USA.gov

December 1 is World AIDS Day, an opportunity to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, to learn about advances in the fight against it, and honor those who have been lost to the disease.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Nearly one in five of those are not aware that they are infected. Approximately 50,000 people become newly infected each year.

Find out how HIV is spread, how to avoid it, and how to stay healthy if infected at AIDS.gov.

Many people are diagnosed too late to fully benefit from available life-extending treatment. If you know your status, you can start getting treated and help prevent the infection of others. Find an HIV test location online or by texting your ZIP code to “KNOWIT” (566948).

Gay and bisexual men remain the group most severely and disproportionately affected by the epidemic. However, more than two-thirds (68 percent) of those infected through heterosexual sex are women. Learn more about avoiding and treating HIV for women.

It’s easy to eat too much and exercise too little during the holiday season. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Although celebrations usually take place both at home and work, it is possible to enjoy this time of year while eating healthy and staying active.

The tips below will help you get started.

People tend to eat too much in part because food is everywhere during the holidays. However, there are a few techniques you can use to keep your weight in check and stay healthy. For one, serve yourself smaller portions and eat slowly so that you can tell more easily when you are satisfied. If you go to a restaurant, split a big meal with someone or take some home. Choosemyplate.gov has great tips on how to decrease portion sizes and how to overcome common stumbling blocks.

Getting vaccinated is your best protection for avoiding the flu and staying healthy during the holiday season. We have everything you need to know about this flu season, including tips for high risk groups and the types of vaccines available. Keep in mind that the flu vaccine becomes effective about two weeks after it’s been administered, so the earlier you get it the better. Look up the closest pharmacy or vaccination center at flushot.healthmap.org.

Dancing is a great way to stay active and have fun, so don’t be shy about hitting the dance floor at holiday parties. You can also try to get involved with other physical activities such as building a snowman with the family, or going to a gym or a community center if it’s too cold to go for a walk outside. Most adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, five days a week. The key is finding the exercise that works for your age, schedule and interests.

Drinking too much alcohol is bad for your health and dangerous if you will be driving. You can reduce your consumption of alcohol by setting personal limits, drinking nonalcoholic beverages, or resisting the temptation to drink. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has lots of tips on how to cut down, including suggestions on how to avoid triggers and setting consumption goals. It also has a simple questionnaire that will help you compare your drinking pattern to other adults in the United States.

People with diabetes or other conditions need to be especially mindful about what they eat during the holiday season. Interrupting your normal eating patterns might cause serious consequences for your health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has resources to help you manage your diabetes during the holidays. It features tips on traveling for the holidays, including making sure you pack your medicine and carrying a medical identification that says you have diabetes.

Inauguration Day is the day when the President-elect and Vice President-elect swear in and take office. It occurs every four years on January 20. This year, since January 20 is a Sunday, the public swearing-in ceremony will take place on Monday, January 21.

Here’s how you can be involved in this year’s inauguration:


A limited amount of tickets for the inaugural swearing-in ceremonies are available free of charge from your senators and representatives. Tickets will be made available about a week before the event. Contact your senator or representative for more information.

The only place you can get these tickets is from your elected officials, and the tickets are free. Any other person or website trying to sell you tickets is likely a scam.

You can watch the inauguration without a ticket from the National Mall.

After the swearing-in and inaugural luncheon, a Presidential Inauguration Parade occurs for the President and Vice President. The event includes a procession of military units, citizen groups, marching bands, and floats.

Parade participants are selected by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Marching bands, mounted units and other performers wishing to participate can find can apply online.

The inauguration parade is open to the public and is on television.


Inaugural balls honor the President and Vice President. The Presidential Inaugural Committee organizes official balls, and some state societies also sponsor balls. Tickets are required to attend most official inaugural balls, but some organizations hold unofficial events that are open to the general public.

Learn more about the 2013 inauguration and how you can participate.

Asked by an anonymous Tumblr user.

There are a number of places where you can find government data and statistics:

• USA.gov - Our page points you to commonly requested data sets and statistics.
• Data.gov - This comprehensive data site compiles data sets, charts, maps, and more. You can download raw data or play with interactive data sets.
• American FactFinder - This tool combines a variety of population, housing, economic, and geographic information that you can search many different ways.

In reference to the specific question, you can find the number of people who receive welfare, called cash public assistance, using the American FactFinder. From there you can narrow it to specific urban areas or by other geographies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports unemployment statistics, including for large metropolitan areas.

If you’re having a hard time locating the correct statistics, you can always ask a government information librarian for help. Government information librarians are experts at finding information from government agencies of all levels (local, state, regional, national international) on almost any subject.

November celebrates National Adoption Month across the country. The month focuses on raising awareness about adoption, educating communities about the challenges and myths around adopting children, and draws attention to thousands of children in foster care who need good homes.

If you’re thinking about adopting a child:

• Educate yourself on common adoption myths and how to make the process the easiest for you
• Know that on average, it takes a year from the time you contact an adoption agency to the time a child is placed with you
• Remember there are several steps in the adoption process, including: completing an adoption home study, getting approved, and being matched with a child
• Have appropriate expectations and avoid judgments based on information you’ve read.

Learn more about adoption in the United States.

November is recognized as Military Family Month. It is a time to celebrate and honor service members and their families and thank them for their sacrifice to our country. These are just a few of the many resources available to help military service members and their families:

• Deployment Guide: This interactive resource is a free tool for service members of all branches and their families to use while preparing for deployment, during deployment, and when returning home from deployment.
• Combat Stress: Operation Enduring Families provides a five-step educational and support program for veterans and their families after they return from combat. The program includes sessions on family relationships, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, communication and intimacy and anger. The sessions strive to address challenges, offer resource and garner hope.
• Child Care: While a family member is deployed, the spouse at home can feel an extra burden of child care. The Department of Defense (DoD) offers child care services for family members to help them get affordable and quality child care. The DoD currently has over 800 child care centers and oversees family programs across the country.

Find more resources for military families.

If you can’t afford to pay your winter heating bill, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) may be able to help with:

• Home energy bills
• Energy crisis
• Weatherization and energy-related home repairs

Assistance is available to low-income families who spend a large portion of income on home heating and cooling.

Contact your state or Indian tribe or tribal organization agency for eligibility requirements and to apply. For help applying, you can also call 1.866.NRG.NEAR (674.6327)