National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) is recognized on Tuesday, October 15, which coincides with the last day of National Hispanic Heritage Month. NLAAD aims to raise awareness about the impact of HIV in Hispanic/Latinx communities. The awareness day is led by the Latino Commission on AIDS (LCOA), and this year’s theme is “Start Treatment. Stick to It. Get Better.”

NLAAD

Leading up to NLAAD, the LCOA is hosting three webinars, and we encourage you to register for them and share their details with your networks. Continue reading to learn more.

National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day Webinar Series

New HIV Diagnosis in the South (Focus on Texas) - October 3 at 2 pm (ET)

There is an increase in new HIV diagnoses in the Southern U.S. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2022 data, the South accounted for nearly half (49%) of all estimated new HIV infections. The LCOA, through its research and innovation unit, is collecting information regarding the HIV epidemic in the Southern U.S., specifically for Hispanic communities, beginning with Texas. In this webinar, Danial Castellanos, DrPH, Vice President of Research and Innovation, LCOA, will share the epidemiology of HIV in Texas. Register here.

Advances on HIV Treatment - October 7 at 2:00 pm (ET)

Due to progress in research and scientific advancements, many HIV treatment medications exist today. HIV is now controllable and treatable, despite there not being a cure yet. Dr. Annelys Roque Gardeners, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Emory University will lead this webinar where participants will learn about currently available treatment options, when to begin treatment, the importance of adhering to treatment, the benefits of receiving treatment, and the difficulties the community faces regarding access to treatment. Register here.

Integration of Aging into HIV Care – October 8, 2024 2:00 PM ET

This webinar is focused on learning the needs of the older people living with HIV, based on research by the LCOA’s research department in Texas. Join Evelio Salinas Escamilla, Senior Research Associate at the LCOA to learn more about epidemiological trends and the process of aging with HIV. Register here.

The HIV Care Cascade in the U.S.: Are We Reaching Our Goals to End the HIV Epidemic? – October 9 at 10:00 am (ET)

In this webinar, Patrick Sullivan, DVM, PhD, Professor of Epidemiology, Emory University, Principal Scientist, AIDSVu will present statistics and information on the HIV Care Cascade in the U.S. Register here.

In addition to registering for these webinars, we also encourage you to visit the HIV.gov NLAAD page to learn more about the awareness day and the webinars.

This blog post was published October 2, 2024, on HIV.gov.