List of awareness ribbons
Updated: 5/24/2026, 6:50:39 PM Wikipedia source
This is an incomplete list of awareness ribbons. The meaning behind an awareness ribbon depends on its colors and pattern. Since many advocacy groups have adopted ribbons as symbols of support or awareness, ribbons, particularly those of a single color, some colors may refer to more than one cause. Some causes may be represented by more than one ribbon.
Tables
· Colors and meanings
1985
1985
Ribbon
1985
Color
Duncan Hunter and Henry Lozano's Camanera Clubs
First use
Substance-abuse awareness including tobacco, alcohol and drugs (Red Ribbon Week is commonly held in American schools.)
June 1991
June 1991
Ribbon
June 1991
Color
Visual AIDS Artists' Caucus (anonymous)
First use
HIV/AIDS awareness
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Stroke
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome, a chronic pain condition consisting of four different disorders, including complex regional pain syndrome. - the newer multicolored orange/red flame is also used
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Cultural diversity
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Kidney cancer – alternative to the green ribbon
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Gun violence protests, including after the Parkland shootings
?
?
Ribbon
?
Color
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
First use
Leukemia awareness
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Malnutrition/hunger
?
?
Ribbon
?
Color
Multiple Sclerosis International Federation
First use
Multiple sclerosis awareness
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Self-injury awareness/self-harm awareness
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Work Zone Safety Awareness
1994
1994
Ribbon
1994
Color
International Association for Suicide Prevention,
Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program
First use
See also: Suicide awareness Suicide prevention
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Endometriosis awareness
2012–2014
2012–2014
Ribbon
2012–2014
Color
Rural Fire Brigades Association Queensland
First use
Rural Fire Service Queensland – A symbol of unilateral support of Rural Fire Brigades across the state of Queensland, Australia
2014
2014
Ribbon
2014
Color
Yellow Ribbon Campaign and Sewol Ferry Protest Movement
First use
Sinking of South Korean ferry MV Sewol in 2014 which resulted in more than 300 deaths.
2014
2014
Ribbon
2014
First use
Supporters of 2014 Hong Kong protests
2018
2018
Ribbon
2018
First use
Protest against imprisonment of Catalan independence movement leaders during the Catalan crisis
2022
2022
Ribbon
2022
Color
Yellow Ribbon
First use
Resistance movement in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, created in April 2022 after the Russian military invasion. The goal of the movement is informational resistance to the Russian occupiers
2023
2023
Ribbon
2023
Color
Bring Them Home Now
First use
Advocating safe return of the hostages taken by Hamas in its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma awareness
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Cerebral palsy
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Depression
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Kidney cancer – alternative to the orange ribbon, kidney disease
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Mitochondrial disease awareness
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Mental health awareness and mental illness awareness
2022
2022
Ribbon
2022
First use
Anti-war movement in Russia protesting against the 2022 invasion of Ukraine
2001
2001
Ribbon
2001
Color
Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)
First use
Sexual assault/sexual abuse including Military Sexual Trauma
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Food allergies
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Ovarian cancer
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
2014
2014
Ribbon
2014
First use
Trigeminal neuralgia
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Tsunami victims
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Uterine cancer
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Dysautonomia
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Native American and Native American reparations
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Men's health
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Autism spectrum although the autism infinity symbol is often used
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Hydrocephalus
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Mourning and honoring a police officer killed in the line of duty.
1993
1993
Ribbon
1993
Color
Tom Hennessy
First use
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
1996
1996
Ribbon
1996
Color
Electronic Freedom Foundation's Blue Ribbon Online Free Speech Campaign
First use
Support of freedom of speech, press, freedom of association online, and protesting against Internet censorship
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Parkinson's disease awareness
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Canada's National Non-Smoking Week
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
"Stand With ACLU" initiative
2014
2014
Ribbon
2014
First use
Supporters of government officials and police during the 2014 Hong Kong protests.
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Child abuse prevention
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Colon/Colorectal cancer awareness
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Domestic violence/intimate relationship violence
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Fibromyalgia
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Opioid crisis awareness – Notably worn by various Senators during President Donald Trump's 2018 State of the Union address.
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Month of the Military Child, Celebrating Military Kids
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Spirit Day and victims of homophobia
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Epilepsy awareness
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Lupus Awareness Month (May)
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Pancreatic cancer
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Thyroid cancer
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Leiomyosarcoma
?
?
Ribbon
?
First use
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
| Ribbon | Color | First use | Author | Meanings |
| | Pink ribbon | October 1992 | Alexandra Penney for Self and Evelyn Lauder | Breast cancer awareness |
| | Red ribbon | ? | Heart disease | |
| 1985 | Duncan Hunter and Henry Lozano's Camanera Clubs | Substance-abuse awareness including tobacco, alcohol and drugs (Red Ribbon Week is commonly held in American schools.) | ||
| June 1991 | Visual AIDS Artists' Caucus (anonymous) | HIV/AIDS awareness | ||
| ? | Stroke | |||
| | Maroon ribbon | ? | International Myeloma Foundation | Multiple myeloma awareness |
| | Orange ribbon | ? | Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) | |
| ? | Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome, a chronic pain condition consisting of four different disorders, including complex regional pain syndrome. - the newer multicolored orange/red flame is also used | |||
| ? | Cultural diversity | |||
| ? | Kidney cancer – alternative to the green ribbon | |||
| ? | Gun violence protests, including after the Parkland shootings | |||
| ? | Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | Leukemia awareness | ||
| ? | Malnutrition/hunger | |||
| ? | Multiple Sclerosis International Federation | Multiple sclerosis awareness | ||
| ? | Self-injury awareness/self-harm awareness | |||
| ? | Work Zone Safety Awareness | |||
| | Yellow ribbon | ? | Traditional (in the U . and in Canada) symbol of support for military forces, especially those deployed overseas and in conflicts, including prisoners of war and those missing in action. This use spread to other countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden. | |
| 1994 | International Association for Suicide Prevention, Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program | See also: Suicide awareness Suicide prevention | ||
| ? | Endometriosis awareness | |||
| 2012–2014 | Rural Fire Brigades Association Queensland | Rural Fire Service Queensland – A symbol of unilateral support of Rural Fire Brigades across the state of Queensland, Australia | ||
| 2014 | Yellow Ribbon Campaign and Sewol Ferry Protest Movement | Sinking of South Korean ferry MV Sewol in 2014 which resulted in more than 300 deaths. | ||
| 2014 | Supporters of 2014 Hong Kong protests | |||
| 2018 | Protest against imprisonment of Catalan independence movement leaders during the Catalan crisis | |||
| 2022 | Yellow Ribbon | Resistance movement in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, created in April 2022 after the Russian military invasion. The goal of the movement is informational resistance to the Russian occupiers | ||
| 2023 | Bring Them Home Now | Advocating safe return of the hostages taken by Hamas in its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. | ||
| | Bright green ribbon | ? | Climate change/global warming | |
| | Lime green ribbon | Lyme disease, Post-Treatment Lyme Disease | ||
| ? | Non-Hodgkin lymphoma awareness | |||
| | Green ribbon | ? | Bipolar disorder (manic depression) | |
| ? | Cerebral palsy | |||
| ? | Depression | |||
| ? | Kidney cancer – alternative to the orange ribbon, kidney disease | |||
| ? | Mitochondrial disease awareness | |||
| ? | Mental health awareness and mental illness awareness | |||
| 2022 | Anti-war movement in Russia protesting against the 2022 invasion of Ukraine | |||
| | Jade ribbon | 2001 | Jade Ribbon Campaign awareness about hepatitis B and liver cancer | |
| | Teal ribbon | ? | Cervical cancer an alternative is the Teal and White ribbon | |
| 2001 | Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) | Sexual assault/sexual abuse including Military Sexual Trauma | ||
| ? | Food allergies | |||
| ? | Ovarian cancer | |||
| ? | Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) | |||
| ? | Post-traumatic Stress Disorder | |||
| 2014 | Trigeminal neuralgia | |||
| ? | Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) | |||
| ? | Tsunami victims | |||
| ? | Uterine cancer | |||
| | Turquoise ribbon | ? | Addiction recovery – alternative to red for substance use | |
| ? | Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) | |||
| ? | Dysautonomia |
References
- SELFhttps://www.self.com/gallery/history-of-the-pink-ribbon-slideshow
- the Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/13/evelyn-lauder-pink-ribbon-breast-cancer
- Ribbon: The Art of Adornmenthttps://books.google.com/books?id=-wWieD-pGIoC&pg=PA25
- disabled-worldhttps://www.disabled-world.com/disability/awareness/ribbons.php
- "Red Ribbon Anti-Drug Campaign"https://web.archive.org/web/20091002080653/http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ongoing/red_ribbon/redribbon_factsheet.html
- SELFhttps://visualaids.org/projects/the-red-ribbon-project
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25317116
- Not a Blueprinthttps://search.worldcat.org/oclc/935643016
- Orange Country Public Schoolshttps://www.ocps.net/UserFiles/Servers/Server_54619/File/Departments/Office%20of%20Legal%20Services/ADA%20Compliance/Games%20&%20Resources/Awareness%20Ribbon%20Color%20Meanings.pdf
- Pink Ribbons: Cancer's Answershttps://books.google.com/books?id=n8LlolU73K0C
- Tumorhttps://books.google.com/books?id=KXQ4DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA60
- "Cancer ribbon colors: A guide"https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323448
- Chicago Tribunehttps://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-school-walkouts-gun-reform-20180313-story.html
- Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/02/05/fred-guttenberg-trump-state-union/
- "Raise Awareness | National Multiple Sclerosis Society"https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Chapters/KYW/Raise-Awareness#section-7
- 2013 National Work Zone Awareness Week, Federal Highway Administration, Accessed May 8, 2022https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/nwzaw2013_prdiv.htm
- Connecticut Work Zone Safety, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Accessed May 8, 2022https://web.archive.org/web/20200812181100/https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/Office-of-Construction/Work-Zone-Safety-Awareness
- Work Zone Brochure, Illinois Department of Transportation, Accessed May 8, 2022https://idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Travel-Information/Pamphlets-&-Brochures/Work%20Zone%20Brochure.pdf
- Work Zone Safety, Maine Department of Transportation, Accessed May 8, 2022https://www.maine.gov/mdot/safety/workzone/
- yellowribbonhttps://web.archive.org/web/20210515010712/http://yellowribbon.org.uk/about.html