GMHC Commemorates National Latino AIDS Awareness Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Krishna Stone | 212.367.1016

In GMHC's 30th year, we commemorate National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) with a call to action.  We are strongly committed to ending health disparities for Latino men and women who make up 33% of GMHC's clientele.  We know that the epidemic disproportionately affects Latino women and gay and bisexual men, and we call on policymakers and community leaders to focus on these affected populations in their HIV prevention and treatment efforts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of new AIDS diagnoses among Latino men is three times that of white men, and the rate among Latinas is five times that of white women. Gay and bisexual men represent the greatest proportion of HIV cases among Latinos followed by heterosexual Latinas. We commend the Office of National AIDS Policy for prioritizing Latino Americans as a high-risk community in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, and we urge elected officials, service providers, advocates, clergy and researchers to join us in the fight to improve health outcomes for all Americans living with and/or at risk for HIV.

GMHC salutes the Latino Commission on AIDS (LCOA) for initiating this important day. GMHC CEO Marjorie J. Hill, PhD, was honored to attend the LCOA press conference at City Hall this morning commemorating the 10th Anniversary of NLAAD. Dr. Hill noted, "It is imperative that we increase culturally-relevant outreach and prevention messaging within the Latino community. As the Chair of the AIDS Advisory Council of NYS, I salute the work being done by the NYS AIDS Institute, including their creation of New York State Latino HIV Testing Month and commend LCOA for their leadership in creating NLAAD."

***

About GMHC
GMHC is a not-for-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based organization committed to national leadership in the fight against AIDS.  We provide prevention and care services to men, women and families that are living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS in New York City.  We advocate for scientific, evidence-based public health solutions for hundreds of thousands worldwide.