Saturday, October
15, marks the third annual National Latino AIDS
Awareness Day, an annual campaign sponsored by the Latino
Commission on AIDS to encourage at-risk individuals to
receive voluntary HIV counseling and testing. This
year's event has the theme "Open Your
Eyes" ("Abre Los Ojos"), aiming
to encourage more Latinos to practice safer sex, talk with
their sex partners about HIV and other sexually transmitted
diseases, and learn if they're infected with
the virus.
Organizers of the
annual event say data showing rising HIV infection
rates among Latinos show that increased efforts are needed
to reach Latino communities with HIV messages.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 20% of U.S. AIDS cases are among Latinos,
who account for about 15% of the U.S. population. In
California, Latinos account for 43.3% of the
state's AIDS cases. AIDS is the sixth leading
cause of death among Latinos between the ages of 25 and 34.
For more
information about National Latino AIDS Awareness Day or to
find events scheduled for your region, go online to www.latinoaids.org/nlaad/2005.
(Advocate.com)