Awareness ribbons are short pieces of ribbon folded into a loop and pinned on a person's clothing. Alternatively, the ribbons can be tied around an object or the image of the ribbon can be used as a sticker or magnet, especially on vehicles. They are used in the United States, as a way for the wearer to make a subtle statement of support for a cause or issue.

The meaning behind the awareness ribbon depends on its color. Following is a list of the different colors and their associated causes:

Black (black ribbon): In Memorial / Mourning / Melanoma, Anti-Gang
Cream: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
Blue (blue ribbon): Drunk Driving, Education
Dark Blue: Child Abuse Prevention, Colon Cancer, Water Quality, Crime Victim Rights
Light Blue: Prostate Cancer, Edward's Syndrome, Scleroderma
Brown: Colorectal Cancer
Gold: Childhood Cancer
Gray: Diabetes, Brain Tumors
Green: Health, Ecology, Organ & Tissue Donor, Ovarian Cancer, Missing Children, Leukemia, Childhood Depression, Safe Driving
Green with Red and White strike: Solidarity with independent Chechnya
Forest Green: Tsunami Relief
Lace: Osteoporosis
Orange (orange ribbon): the Ukrainian Orange Revolution of 2004, Hunger Awareness, Lupus, Racial Tolerance, Cultural Diversity, Opposition to the disengagment plan In Israel.
Peach: Uterine Cancer, Endometrial Cancer
Periwinkle: Pulmonary Hypertension, Eating Disorders
Pink (pink ribbon): Breast Cancer
Purple(purple ribbon): Alzheimer's Disease, Pancreatic Cancer, Domestic Violence, Children with Disabilities
Red: HIV/AIDS, DUI Awareness, Substance Abuse, Epidermolysis Bullosa, Pro-Life
Red, White, & Blue: Patriotism

Red, White, & Red:  Leukemia & Lymphoma

Sheer w/Gold: Lung Cancer
Silver: Elder Abuse, Parkinson's Disease
Teal: Myasthenia Gravis, Ovarian Cancer, Substance Abuse
White (white ribbon): Peace, Adoption, Student Sexual Assault, Child Exploitation and Abuse, Free Speech, Purity, Alzheimer's, Lung Cancer, Retinal Blastoma, Multiple Sclerosis
Yellow (yellow ribbon): Bladder Cancer, Testicular Cancer, POW/MIA, Equality, Endometriosis, Teen Suicide, Spina Bifida, General Cancer