LLEGO awarded $5.75 million for HIV prevention (12056)

The National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Organization has received $5.75 million in grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for HIV prevention efforts targeting the nation's Latino population. The money will fund two programs: Avanzando, a training program to strengthen cultural and language competency of community organizations in Western states, and Horizontes, a nationwide program that focuses on leadership-building to boost the ability of community groups to promote HIV prevention and to increase access to prevention and HIV antibody testing services, thereby reducing homophobia and AIDS-related stigma. The money will be issued in annual amounts of $1.15 million per year for the next five years.

"The CDC funds will maintain LLEGO's capacity to work with organizations that provide HIV prevention services to all Latino populations, including LGBT men and women, faith communities, and those at the highest risk of HIV infection, such as men who have sex with men (MSMs)--especially young MSMs--and HIV-positive individuals and female partners of intravenous-drug users," said J. Carlos Velazquez, LLEGO's director of programs, in an agency press release.

Latinos make up 13% of the U.S. population but 19% of Americans living with AIDS, according to the CDC. Federal statistics also show a more than 26% increase in HIV diagnoses among Latinos in 29 states from 1999 to 2002. For more information about LLEGO, call (202) 408-5380 or go online to www.llego.org.