Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz (D-TX)

OCTOBER 15 COMMEMORATES 4^th ANNUAL
NATIONAL LATINO AIDS AWARENESS DAY

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz today thanked the social marketing campaign, National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD), for their work to promote HIV testing and education among Hispanics and to mobilize Hispanic communities in the fight against AIDS.

"This year's theme: 'Knowledge is Power. Get the Facts. Get Tested for HIV' says it all," Ortiz said.  "Understanding - for any disease - is critical for people to fight and prevent the spread of a disease.  HIV and AIDS is an enormous challenge in Hispanic communities, precisely because people are fearful of knowing for certain they are HIV positive, and because the testing can be expensive.  HIV testing and prevention education plays a pivotal role in stemming the spread of AIDS."

This year, more than 350 institutions in 250 cities across the continental United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are participating in NLAAD, which takes place annually on October 15, the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

"National Latino AIDS Awareness Day is a day to enjoin Latinos, regardless of country of origin, in a national Latino movement to confront the stigmas associated with the disease and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in our communities," said Dennis de Leon, President of the Latino Commission of AIDS.  "We must empower our communities by educating ourselves and promoting the importance of knowing your HIV status.  Through extensive education, training, and testing sites in Latino communities across the country, Latinos are taking a stand against the spread of HIV, as well as celebrating our culture and the preservation of life and hope."

Hispanics continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, comprising nearly 20% of HIV/AIDS cases nationwide but only 14% of the national population. Limited access to prevention and care, cultural barriers, language barriers, and immigration status has contributed to this disparity. 

The National Latino AIDS Awareness Day was created in 2003 by the Latino Commission on AIDS and the Hispanic Federation in partnership with community based organizations, people living with HIV/AIDS, Health Departments and others, to educate, empower and enable the Latino community to confront AIDS. Organizations participating in NLAAD forge partnerships with the media, elected officials, civic and religious leaders, foundations, celebrities and the health care system in order to address this epidemic.

For more information on how you can save a life by getting tested or to find out how you can participate visit http://www.nlaad.org/. NLAAD is supported by NBC, Telemundo, Cable Positive, the Kaiser Family Foundation, Viacom, Univision, Orasure Technologies, Abbott Laboratories, the Office of Minority Health Observance Days, the CDC National Prevention Information Network, plus many others.