Announcement: National Latino AIDS Awareness Day --- October 15, 2009

October 15 is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, which is held to raise awareness of the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic in the Hispanic/Latino population in the United States. In 2006, Hispanics accounted for approximately 17% of the estimated 56,300 new HIV infections (1), and among Hispanic males and females, incidence rates were 2.2 and 3.8 times the rates among white males and females, respectively (2). Male-to-male sexual contact accounted for approximately 72% of new HIV infections among Hispanic men and approximately 55% of all new HIV infections among Hispanics during 2006. Among Hispanic females, high-risk heterosexual contact accounted for approximately 83% of new infections during 2006.

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day also is a day for encouraging HIV testing among Hispanics. Knowledge of their HIV status enables infected persons to prevent further HIV transmission and promotes entry into HIV/AIDS care. Data from the 34 states with confidential HIV and AIDS reporting from 1996--2005 showed that Hispanics were more likely than non-Hispanic whites to receive an initial HIV diagnosis late in their HIV infection (3). National HIV behavioral surveillance data also have shown that 48% of Hispanic men who have sex with men did not know they were infected (4).

Information about National Latino AIDS Awareness Day is available at http://www.cdc.gov/features/latinoaidsawareness. Information about CDC activities and resources supporting National Latino AIDS Awareness Day is available at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/hispanics.

References

1. Hall I, Song R, Rhodes P, et al. Estimation of HIV incidence in the United States. JAMA 2008;300:520--9.
2. CDC. Subpopulation estimates from the HIV incidence surveillance system---United States, 2006. MMWR 2008;57:985--9.
3. CDC. Late HIV testing---34 states, 1996--2005. MMWR 2009;58:661--5.
4. CDC. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk, prevention, and testing behaviors---United States, National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System: men who have sex with men, November 2003--April 2005. MMWR 2006;55(No. SS-06).

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Date last reviewed: 10/8/2009