AIDS Cases on Rise in San Diego Latinos

New estimates identify Latino gay men as moving from the fourth to third most impacted population in new HIV cases.

In an effort to educate and reduce the number of infected Latinos, CLASP (Coalition of Latino Aids Service Providers) hosts for the fourth time, a family event for National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD), October 13, 2011.

CLASP will be bringing the message back to the community with this event, which will take place at the Sherman Heights Community Center. It will include free HIV testing; entertainment, food, and testimonials of HIV/AIDS infected and affected individuals.

NLAAD will kick off the event at 3:00pm with entertainment and free early HIV testing provided by the Health and Human Service branch of the County. This year we are inviting; the event is open to agencies that deal with health disparities other than HIV. We would like to reach out to a broader audience by including booths with information on a variety of health issues facing Latinos today.

The event’s main purpose is still geared toward HIV education and screening. According to the CDC’s MMWR, the HIV prevalence rates in Hispanics are 2.6 times the rate for whites (585.3 per 100,000 compared to 224.3 per 100,000), nation wide (Oct. 3, 2008). NLADD is a family oriented event that strives to fight stigma about HIV in the Latino community, thus lowering HIV prevalence. The event expects over 300 community members.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!