NLAAD 2015

October 15 is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, a day to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS prevention among Hispanics/Latinos living in the United States and its territories.

Coordinated by the Latino Commission on AIDS , this day encourages Hispanic/Latino1communities to take action against HIV. This year's theme,You and I Will Defeat AIDS (Tu y Yo Vamos a Derrotar al SIDA), is a call to action to work together to end the spread of HIV. It asks each of us to learn and share the facts about HIV, get tested, and stay in medical care if we are living with HIV.

HIV among Hispanics/Latinos

More than 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the United States, and more than 47,000 new cases were identified in 2013. Hispanics/Latinos, only 17% of the US population, are disproportionately affected by HIV, making up 21% of people living with HIV and 23% of people who get an HIV diagnosis. In addition:

In 2013, Hispanics/Latinos had the second highest rate of new HIV diagnoses compared to other races/ethnicities.
Men accounted for 85% of the estimated new HIV diagnoses among Hispanics/Latinos in 2013. Most of the new diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino men occurred among gay and bisexual men (81%).
By age group, the highest rate of HIV diagnosis among Hispanics/Latinos occurred among those aged 25-34 years.

A number of factors contribute to the burden of HIV in Hispanic/Latino communities, including limited access to health care, language or cultural barriers in health care settings, traditional gender norms and stigma around homosexuality. Learn more about the impact of HIV among Hispanics/Latinos[344 KB].

New CDC data estimate that Hispanics/Latinos have higher percentages of linkage to and retention in medical care when compared to the national population of persons with HIV. However, a lower percentage have received prescriptions for HIV medicines (antiretroviral therapy, or ART) and achieved viral suppression (having low levels of the HIV virus in the blood). Getting and staying on treatment to achieve viral suppression is the best way for people with HIV to stay healthy and reduce their risk of transmitting the virus to others. HIV medicines are recommended for all people living with HIV, regardless of how long they've had the virus or how healthy they are. A new CDC HIV awareness campaign, HIV Treatment Works, encourages people living with HIV to Get in Care, Stay in Care, and Live Well.

October 15 is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day.

We Can Stop HIV One Conversation at a Time

One Conversation at a Time encourages Hispanics/Latinos to talk openly about HIV/AIDS.

What can you do to stop HIV?

Learn the facts about HIV and talk openly to help protect our communities. Visit CDC's HIV Basics for information about HIV and AIDS and CDC's campaign We Can Stop HIV One Conversation at a Time / Podemos Detener el VIH Una Conversación a la Vez to learn practical tips about having conversations about prevention, testing, and treatment.

Take steps to protect yourself and those you care about. CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 be tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. People with more than one sex partner, sexually active gay and bisexual men, people who have other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and people who inject drugs are likely to be at high risk and should get tested at least once a year. Depending on their risk, sexually active gay and bisexual men may benefit from even more frequent testing (e.g., every 3 to 6 months),. To find a testing site, call 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636), visit gettested.cdc.gov, or use a home testing kit.

For people who are HIV-negative, there are more tools available and more actions to take to stay safe and healthy.

Choose not to have sex (abstain).
Use condoms the right way every time you have sex.
Choose less risky sexual behaviors. For example, oral sex is much less risky than anal sex.
Reduce the number of people with whom you have sex.
If you are at high risk, talk to your doctor about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), taking daily HIV medicine to prevent HIV infection.
Talk to your doctor right away (within 3 days) about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), if you have had a possible recent exposure to HIV.
Get tested and treated for other STDs and encourage your partners to do the same. Find an STD testing site.
If your partner is HIV-positive, encourage your partner to get and stay on treatment.

People living with HIV can take the actions listed here to reduce their risk of transmitting HIV:

The most important thing to do is take antiretroviral therapy (ART) the right way, every day.
If you are taking ART, follow your health care provider's instructions.
Choose not to have sex (abstain).
Use condoms the right way every time you have sex.
Choose less risky sexual behaviors. For example, oral sex is much less risky than anal sex.
Reduce the number of people with whom you have sex.
Talk to your partners about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), taking HIV medicine daily to prevent HIV infection.
Talk to your partners about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) if you think they have had a possible recent exposure to HIV.
Get tested and treated for other STDs and encourage your partners to do the same. Find an STD testing site.