Each year on October 15 we observe National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD), a day to raise awareness of HIV among Latinos and promote HIV prevention, testing, and treatment.  

Latinos experience 20% of HIV infections even though they represent only 16% of the population.  They face barriers to education, testing, and treatment, including poverty, homophobia, stigma, and for undocumented immigrants, fear of disclosure should they seek care.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a study of the epidemic among Latinos and has found that the rate of new infections is highest among Latinos who live in the Northeast; while the largest population with HIV resides in the South.  Men who have sex with men face particular risk of HIV.  

Ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic not only requires that all people have access to the prevention and health care they need, but that structural barriers like poverty and lack of education be removed.

Resources for NLAAD:

www.NLAAD.org

AIDS.gov blogs in observance of NLAAD