Awareness ribbon colors and meanings

Our comprehensive listing of Awareness Ribbons, their meanings and cause colors!


We have been researching and verifying these cause colors since 2001.  Many causes share colors, and some causes will have more than one color assigned to them. In these cases, you are free to choose the color that feels right for you, or one the organization you support has chosen.   I always say "An awareness ribbon is only as good as the person wearing it and their willingness to educate others".  Use your browsers find function to search this page or go here for an alphabetical list.  If you are looking for awareness jewelry, click on the links below, Shop By Cause or use the website search box above.  Our jewelry starts at just 0.15¢   We can also custom design awareness or cause jewelry just for you.   To submit your ribbon to our listing, see the instructions at the bottom of the list.  If you have any questions contact us.



Red
- Red Ribbons are here = Aids/HIV, alcohol substance and drug abuse (includes inhalents), MADD, DARE, Epidermolysis Bullosa, Disaster relief, love, heart disease (also uses the red dress symbol), congestive heart failure, Stroke, supraventicular tachycardia, Wolff-parkinson-White Syndrom (WPW), Pro-life, hypertension, Evans Syndrome, Vasculitis, Wegeners Granulomatosis. 

Orange - Orange ribbons are here = hunger, leukemia, cultural diversity and racial tolerance, feral cats, motorcycle safety, Multiple Sclerosis, self injury, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), Support of the Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and North Samaria (Israel), skin cancer (with a sun in the center of the loop), Underage Drinking, Deep Vein Thrombosis, Work zone safety, Highway and Road Worker Memorial, Agent Orange exposure, kidney cancer. 

Yellow - Yellow ribbons are here = Support our troops, POW/MIA, suicide prevention, adoptive parents, spina biffida, missing children (amber alert), endometriosis, sarcoma (with or without a sunflower), myxoid liposarcoma, bladder cancer, liver disease, liver cancer, cholangiocarcinomas, hydrocephalus or hydrocephaly, hope in general, boycott Aruba (hope for Natalee), carbon monoxide poisoning, genocide awareness, Victorian Bushfire Disaster 09, osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, chondrosarcoma. 

Green - Green ribbons are here = Tissue and organ donation or transplants, depression (both adults and children), bipolar disorder, mental health, mental illness, eye injuries, Tourette's Syndrome, bone marrow transplants and donation, Fanconi's Syndrome, worker and driving safety, Von Hippel Lindau, glaucoma, missing children, leukemia, environment, Fibrodysplasia Ossificans, kidney cancer or kidney disease, neural tube defects, Mitochondrial Disease, growth and rebuilding, Progressiva, Cerebral Palsy, Save Darfur, Stem Cell Research, Neurofibromatosis, Lissencephally, Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, Save The Earth, Go Green, Recycling, Medical Marijuana, Support Family Farms and Rural Communities, Sandy Hook Elementary.

Blue - Blue ribbons are here = Child abuse prevention, arthritis, gout, free speech, crime victims rights, water quality, colon cancer, colorectal cancer, Dysautonomia, hystiocytosis, histiocytosis, Erb's Palsy, Ankylosing Spondylitis, domestic violence, water safety (flooding, drowning and accidents), Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), second hand smoke, dystonia, interstitial cystitis, bracial plexus injury, Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) , Alopecia, Reyes Syndrome, education, Steven Johnson Syndrome, short bowel syndrome, Myositis, Anti-bullying, Leukodystrophy, Hurricane Support, Huntington's Disease, police officers lost in the line of duty (AKA, the Thin Blue Line), Malaria, Syringomyelia, Neurofibromatosis, Sex Trafficking and Slavery, Cri du Chat Syndrome, Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, polio awareness, Primary Immunodeficiency Disease (PIDD), Sensory Processing Disorder (reflex blue shade), Angelman Syndrome, Von Hippel-Lindau, Microcephaly Awareness (royal blue shade).

Purple - Purple ribbons are here = Domestic violence, religious tolerance, animal abuse, the victims of 9/11 (includes police and firefighters), pancreatic cancer, Crohn's Disease and colitis, cystic fibrosis, leimyosarcoma, macular degeneration, Sjogren's Syndrome, fibromyalgia, lupus, sarcoidosis, the homeless, Mucolipidoses, thyroid cancer, ADD, ADHD, alzheimers, cancer survivor (this is a general color that anyone who has survived cancer can wear), Pagan pride, Arnold Chiari Malformation, Mucopolysaccharidosis, Hurler Syndrome, children left unattended in cars, childhood or pediatric stroke, Anti-Gay Bullying (Spirit Day), epilepsy (Purple Day), overdose awareness, Porphyria.

White - White ribbons are here =  Innocence, victims of terrorism, peace, right to life, diabetes, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, sexual assault of students, retinal blastoma, blindness, alzheimers, adoption, bone disease and bone cancer, Osteosarcoma, anti-child pornography on the internet, carbon monoxide poisoning (CO poisoning), post partum depression, survivors, Scoliosis, Anti-stalking, Men working to end men's violence against women, Holocaust remembrance, Sex trafficking and slavery (efforts via the childrens anti-pornography and men working to end violence against women groups in 55 countries!), poverty, white ribbon with a knot tied in the middle for marriage equality, Gay-teen suicide. 

Black - Black ribbons are here = Mourning, melanoma, anti-gangs, Anti-terrorism in Spain, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, sleep disorders, POW-MIAs, Primary Billiary Cirrhosis, Amish Support, gun control, accidents (general designation), Black Ribbon Day- a remembrance day for victims of totalitarianism.  Black ribbons are here!

Brown - Brown ribbons are here =Anti-tobacco, colorectal cancer

Gray = Gray ribbons are here = Diabetes, hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, brain cancer, glioblastoma, Parkinson's, asthma, allergies, end sex trafficking and slavery in the UK

Lime Green - Lime green ribbons are here = Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Lyme Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Ivemark Syndrome, Sandhoff Disease, Support for Adoptees Rights to open adoption records that have been sealed, mental health

Teal - Teal ribbons are here = Ovarian, cervical, uterine (all gynecological) cancers, food allergies, substance abuse, sexual assault, sexual abuse, Myasthenia Gravis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, agoraphobia, panic or stress disorders (includes PTSD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Fragile X, Batten Disease, Tourette's Syndrome (TSA designation), MRSA awareness

Turquoise - Turquoise ribbons are here = (teal colored items work too) Native American reparations, interstitial cystitis (IC Network designation), addiction recovery, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), Dysautomia/POTS

Turquoise With A Zipper - Turquoise jewelry is here = Global Chiari Malformation Awareness

Turquoise Blue Ribbon with a single right wing attached - Hit and Run Awareness 

Burgundy (Maroon) - Burgundy ribbons are here = Hospice care, multiple myeloma, plasmacytoma, cesarian sections,  headaches and migraines, adhesions, thrombophilia and other coagulation or blood factor disorders, meningitis, polio survivor, Post-Polio Syndrome, Hughes Syndrome, brain aneurysm, Hirschsprung's Disease (Congenital Megacolon), children undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with rare disorders or diseases, amyloidosis, hemangioma.

Periwinkle - Periwinkle ribbons are here = Eating disorders, pulmonary hypertension, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, GERD, IBS

Pink - Pink ribbons are here = Breast Cancer, Birth Parents, cleft palate, nursing mothers

Hot Pink - Pink ribbons are here = Inflammatory breast cancer

Pale Yellow = Spina Bifida

Amber - Amber ribbons are here = Appendix Cancer

Peach - Peach ribbons are here = Uterine Cancer, Endometrial Cancer, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

Cream - Cream ribbons are here = Paralysis, spinal cord injuries, spinal diseases or disorders, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Degenerative Disc Disease

Light Green - Light green ribbons are here = Pelvic Pain (chronic), Celiac Disease, STD Awareness, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Mint - Mint green ribbons are here = Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)

Emerald Green - Emerald Green ribbons are here =  Homeopathy awareness

Jade - Jade ribbons are here = Asian and Pacific Islander campaign by ALC to raise Liver Cancer and Hepatitis B awareness.

Sea Green - Stuttering or stammering awareness.

Green And White- This ribbon is here =  Sandy Hook Elementary

Black Green And Black = The Thin Green Line. Used to show support for outdoor federal agents (including park rangers, border patrol, conservation personnel and game wardens) injured or lost in the line of duty. 

Light Blue - Light blue ribbons are here = Prostate cancer, mens health, thyroid disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (Hashimoto's Disease), lymphedema, Addison's Disease,Trisomy 18, Velo-Cardio Facial Syndrome, Klinefelter's Syndrome, hyperaldosteronism, scleroderma, Behcets Disease, Graves Disease, Shprintzen Syndrome, Edward's Syndrome, Achalasia

Lavender - Lavender ribbons are here = All cancers (general cancer awareness), epilepsy, hypokalemic periodic paralysis, rett syndrome, Hodgkins lymphoma, foster care or foster parents, infantile spasms, hysterectomy

Orchid (violet) = Testicular cancer

Fuchsia (Magenta) - Fuchsia ribbons are here = Pro-life, Feminism

Pearl (cream pearl or white pearl) - Pearl ribbons are here = lung cancer or lung disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Mesothelioma, emphysema, Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia

Silver - Silver ribbons are here = The Silver Ribbon Campaign For The Brain© for brain disorders and disabilities - includes Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) , Children with physical or learning disabilities, elderly abuse, stalking, Cortical Visual Impairment Awareness
 
Gold - Gold ribbons are here = Childhood Cancer (pediatric cancer), COPD, Embryonal Rhabdomysarcoma, Breast Feeding (The Gold Standard)

Copper = Menkes disease

Clear - Clear ribbons are here = Lung Cancer, Lung Disease

Light Baby Pink and Blue - Pink and blue ribbons are here =  Pregnancy and infant loss, SIDS, Male breast cancer, baby safe haven, birth defects, amniotic fluid embolism, Hyperemesis Graviduram, infertility

Light Pink, White and Light Blue = Group B Strep (newborns)

Red and White - Red and white ribbons are here = aplastic anemia, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, MDS & other Bone Marrow Diseases (AA&MDSIF designation)

Red and Yellow - Red and yellow ribbons are here = Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Teen abstinence

Red, White and Blue - Red white and blue ribbons are here = Patriotism, 9/11 victims, fireworks safety

Red and Blue with a Heart - CHD ribbons are here = Congenital Heart Defects (also red,blue and red stripes)

Blue And Yellow - Blue and yellow ribbons are here = Down Syndrome, designated drivers (The Hero Campaign), Fatty Oxidation Disorders, Boston Marathon 2013

Blue And Green - Blue and green ribbons are here = Intracranial Hypertension (Pseudotumor Cerebri)

Navy Blue with Silver Writing= Still's Disease Awareness

Purple Ribbon with a Red rose = Cystic Fibrosis

Purple Ribbon with a Red Stripe down the middle
- These ribbons are here = Chronic Migraine Awareness

Purple And Green - Purple and green ribbons are here = Hospice And Palliative Care

Purple And Blue - Purple and blue ribbons are here = Rheumatoid arthritis, childhood or pediatric stroke

Purple and Yellow - Purple and yellow ribbons are here = Chemical Injury (all diseases, disorders, pain, discomfort, or hurt etc. arising from exposure to a chemical substance)

Purple And Black - Purple and black ribbons are here = Paranormal Awareness

Purple And Red  - Purple and red ribbons are here = Desmoplastic Cancer

Purple And Turquoise -These ribbons are here = Suicide Prevention

Purple Butterfly = Lupus (can just be a purple butterfly symbol), domestic violence (butterfly should be paired with a purple ribbon)

Jigsaw Puzzle Ribbon - Puzzle ribbons are here = Autism, Asperger Syndrome

Prism - Prism Ribbons are here = Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Orchid and Orange = psoriasis

Orange and Maroon = Virginia Tech Tragedy

Orange and Green = Ritual abuse, Dual Diagnosis

Orange and Blue= Pediatric Bipolar Awareness (top orange, bottom blue).

Black Orange and Black = Worn to honor search and rescue first responders injured or lost in the line of duty (The Thin Orange Line).

Lime Green and Aqua = adult stem cell donor

Teal And Pink = Hereditary Breast Cancer or a combo ribbon for gynecological and breast cancers.

Teal And White
- This ribbon is here = Cervical Cancer

Pink and Gold - Phyllodes Tumors

Black and Pink - This ribbon is here = Bone Marrow Donor, loss of a daughter

Black and Lt. Blue - This ribbon is here =  Loss of a son (you can also use Black and Navy to indicate an older son)

Black And White - Black and white ribbons are here = Anti-racism, Anti-corruption

Black And White Zebra Stripes - Black and white ribbons are here = Carcinoid Syndrome Cancer, Rare diseases

Black White And Black
(three stripes) - This ribbon is here =  Vaccine danger

Black And White (2 stripes) with a heart in the middle = Medical Kidnapping Awareness

Black And White (5 stripes) = Breast Implant Illness

Gold and Black - This ribbon is here = Platelet donor

Gold and Silver - This ribbon is here = All hearing or ear related disorders and diseases, Large Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome (LVAS)

Gold and Green - (Gold on top and dark green underneath)= Abused, Abandoned, Addicted

Blue and Silver = Living or coping with cancer

Lavender and White (two stripes) = Awareness for Missing and Unidentified Persons

Ivory, Burgundy and Ivory (three stripes) - This ribbon is here = Oral head and neck cancers, oral squamous cell carcinoma, throat cancer, laryngeal cancer, pharyngeal cancer

Ivory Lace = Osteoporosis

Navy Blue and White Pinstripes - This ribbon is here = ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), Lou Gehrig's Disease

Yellow, Lime Green, Orange, Aqua, Hot Pink= Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Orange, Green, Blue, Purple, Yellow = STD awareness

Red White and Red (3 stripes)
= Leukemia and Lymphoma, The Thin Red Line worn to support nurses.

Blue and White - This ribbon is here = In memory of Columbine, Teen cancer,

Blue White and Blue = Worn to support Emergency medical personnel (The Thin White Line). 

RAINBOW - Rainbow ribbons are here = Gay pride or rights movement, same sex marriages

RAINBOW Black And White = 2016 Orlando nightclub tragedy. One leg rainbow one leg half black and half white.  Rainbow ribbons are here.

Red and Black = Red and black ribbons are here = Murder victims (both adults and children), Fire Fighters injured or killed in the line of duty (The Thin Red Line), Self Harm or Self Injury (ASHIC designation)

Orange and Red - Orange and red ribbons are here = Myeloproliferative Disorders, Polycythemia Vera, Essential Thrombocytosis, Primary or idiopathic Myelofibrosis, myelosclerosis, Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)

Blue, White and Pink (3 stripes) = Parental Alienation Syndrome

Teal, Blue, and Pink
= Thyroid Cancer (Thyca designation)

Silver, White, Baby Blue, and Baby Pink (colors run left to right along the ribbon)= Congenital Hyperinsulinism

Support Haiti Ribbons= I am currently aware of 4 ribbons in use to show support for Haitian earthquake victims.  The colors being used are red, blue and yellow.
1. Red = color for disaster relief
2.  Blue = used by West Virginia University
3.  Blue and Red = can be a ribbon or heart shaped icon (colors of the Haitian flag)
4.  Red, Blue and Yellow ribbons worn at the Golden Globes.

 Kaleidoscope pattern = Fluoroquinolone Awareness

 Red with a Gold outline = Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia (NAIT) Awareness

Yellow and Black with a Red Star in the middle = Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Choking Game Awareness = red stripe in middle with a thinner gold stripe on each side of the red with black stripes on the outside.

Robin egg bluePierre Robin Sequence Awareness

Green/Teal/Purple (three stripes) = Medullary Sponge Kidney Awareness

Dark Blue/Orchid/Orange (three stripes) = Psoriatic Arthritis Awareness

Black and Teal Zebra Stripes = Erdheim-Chester Disease Awareness

Yellow with a heart = Survivors of suicide (those left behind after a loved one's suicide).  Please note that the yellow ribbon with a heart in the center of the loop is a registered trademark but other variations are OK to use.

Half Black and White Zebra Stripes and Half Dark Blue and Light Blue Zebra Stripes =  Blount's Disease Awareness

Half Teal and half Purple with stars and a black outline = Necrotizing Fasciitis 

Aquamarine with white polka dots = Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Syndrome

White Ribbon with a silver glitter outline = Positivity Awareness 


 
 
 



Unconfirmed Ribbons we are currently researching:

In order to avoid duplication and errors in our guide to awareness ribbons, we research and confirm all submitted ribbons before posting them.  This has helped us provide the most comprehensive and accurate listing possible for over ten years.  If you have a cause listed below, it means it has been submitted, but we have not received a definitive answer from a charity etc. that its actually in use and its copyright/trademark status is unknown.  These are subject to change or deletion, but you can always wear a confirmed or general ribbon in the meantime.

Japanese Earthquake & Tsunami Awareness = There is a red and white ribbon and a red and white social media photo stamp in use.  Nothing concrete yet and so far no campaigns have been started with a definitive ribbon.  We will update this ASAP.

Anal Cancer = Pink and Purple?

Craniosynostosis = Green?

Stiffman's Syndrome= found, waiting on color confirmation and copyright status from charity?

Thymic Carcinoma, Thymus Cancer = Unknown?

Victims Of Medical Malpractice = Pearl- possibly trademarked?

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome= There are possibly three ribbons for this cause.  A Frayed Knot loop, Zebra Stripe and what appears to be light blue edged in lime green.  I will have to do more research on this to see what ribbons are actively in use and available for public use before this can be confirmed.

Gastroparesis = Green with a gold border or Teal and Mauve?

Caregivers = Lavender?  These ribbons are listed on retail sites only and we are not aware of an actual campaign or group promoting them yet (may be an inaccurate interpretation of the foster care ribbon).

Genetic Diseases- Mint?  I cannot find an actual group or organization promoting this ribbon yet.

Deepwater Horizon Workers = Blue ribbon with 11 yellow stars (please note that we know this ribbon has been created, but we do not know its copyright status or if it was released to the general public).

Cushing's Syndrome & Cushing's Disease= Blue and Yellow.  Copyright/trademark status has not been verified.

Overactive Bladder= Unknown?

Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) Deficiency = Unknown?

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)-  We have found two ribbons that have been created for this cause.  Periwinkle (may have been abandoned) and Black (appears to be in use).  Copyright/trademark status is unknown. 

Dwarfism = We have found a green ribbon for Dwarfism Awareness but its status has not been verified yet

Acrania and Anencephaly = There are three ribbons currently found online for this cause.  Green, lime green and green with pink and blue outer stripes.  None of these ribbons have been verified and their current trademark status is unknown.

Blue Jeans Ribbon= I have repeatedly attempted to contact the Global Genes Project to determine the trademark status of this ribbon.  They have failed to respond so I assume it is not free for the public to use without their permission.  USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!


DO NOT USE THESE COLORS OR SLOGANS!

Pink and Purple Ribbon = Trademarked, not available for public use.

For The Cure = Trademarked, not available for public use.



Guidelines for ribbon submissions:

The Awareness Ribbon Symbol is meant to be a global symbol to freely promote and support positive causes worldwide.  We will not post hate based color designations.  We will also not post or recreate trademarked ribbons that are not available for public use.  If you would like to add a ribbon to our listing, please e-mail us and we will send you our easy to fill out ribbon submission request form!

To the best of our knowledge, the ribbons listed here are in the public domain or the owners have granted permission for their use by the public to spread awareness for their cause.  If we are informed that a color/cause combo has been trademarked and the owner is not allowing its use by the public, it will be removed from the listing.  Drawing or making your own ribbons to support a cause/ribbon color combo that someone has chosen to trademark in these cases may expose you to infringement issues and is not recommended.

Disclaimer: Dana Rae Jewelry and Crafts'N'Scraps® does not guarantee the accuracy or legal status of this data.  We are providing this listing as a reference only.  Organizations should do their own thorough research on existing ribbons when creating new designations or assigning causes to colors.

Please respect our hard work and copyright.  You are welcome to link to this page or share it using the share buttons. Please do not copy our content.  This original listing and all versions past and present is protected under the Compilation copyright law 17 USC 101.  Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.

Dana Bates


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