National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day

1 in 6 Hispanics/Latinos with HIV are unaware they have the virus.

The Ohio HIV/AIDS Prevention Committee (HAPC) of Region 9 - Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery and Preble counties recognize National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD),
October 15, 2021.

National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (or El Día Nacional de Concientizacion Latina del SIDA in Spanish) was created by the Latino Commission on AIDS and the Hispanic Federation in 2003.
The purpose of this day is to raise public awareness of the HIV epidemic in the Hispanic/Latinx communities in the USA.

According to National Institutes of Health (NIH), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains a serious threat to the health of Hispanic/Latinx communities. Being the fastest growing minority group, as the population grows, the total number of HIV/AIDS cases is likely to also rise significantly.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, there were 973 new diagnoses of HIV reported in Ohio in 2019. Of these, 57 (6%) were among Hispanics/Latinx. Also, of the 24,558 persons living with diagnosed HIV in Ohio at the end of 2019, 7% (1,759) were Hispanics/Latinx. In Ohio Region 9, there were 73 Hispanics/Latinos reported living with diagnosed HIV infection in 2020.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NIH note that despite the high cases of HIV, and the recommendation that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care, many Hispanic/Latinx individuals remain untested. Unfortunately, when Hispanics/Latinos are tested for HIV, they are tested late: Nearly half (48%) are tested for HIV within three (3) years of an AIDS-defining diagnosis.

The CDC estimates that 1 in 6 Hispanics/Latinos with HIV are unaware they have the virus. People who do not know they have HIV cannot take advantage of HIV care and treatment and may unknowingly pass HIV to others.

The CDC notes that other issues may put some Hispanics/Latinos at higher risk for HIV infection including:

• Having higher rates of some sexually transmitted infections (STI) than other races/ethnicities. (Having another STI can increase a person’s chance of getting or transmitting HIV).
• Poverty, migration patterns, lower educational level, and language barriers may make it harder to get HIV testing and care.
• Not using HIV prevention services, get an HIV test, or get treatment if they have HIV due to fear of disclosing their immigration status.
• Some experience high levels of mistrust of the health care system. (Lower levels of trust can reduce the chance of clinic visits and result in lower use of and adherence to antiretroviral medications).
• Stigma, fear, discrimination, and homophobia may impact the lives of some Hispanics/Latinos.

Last year’s theme for NLAAD was “Living with HIV or not…we're in this together”, still stands in 2021. It will focus on the tools available to address HIV in our communities and the purging of HIV-related stigma. However, reducing stigma begins with you! Get Educated and Get Tested!

Find out if you are at risk for HIV and get tested. Below is a list of local HIV testing sites: