From left to right: Daniela Simba, Community Engagement Coordinator, Voces Latinas; Jose Tineo, Community Health Educator, Latino Religious Leadership Program; Erik Bottcher, New York City Council Member, District 3; Luis Mares, Director of Community Mobilization & NLAAD Director, Latino Commission on AIDS; Daniel Castellanos, Vice President of Research and Innovation, Latino Commission on AIDS; and Andrea Serna, Community Health Educator, Latino Religious Leadership Program. Credits: Max Guliani

New York, NY, October 10, 2024 - National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD), is observed each year on the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month - October 15. For the past 21 years NLAAD has been successful in mobilizing communities to raise awareness and highlight the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among Hispanic/Latinx communities. NLAAD promotes local, regional, and national collaborative efforts related to HIV testing, Prevention (including PrEP and PEP), linkage and retention in care, reaching HIV viral suppression. We are deeply concerned by the increases in HIV in our communities, especially among our gay and bi men and all men who has sex with men of all ages, Cis gender Latinas, and Trans Latinas throughout the U.S. and its territories.

The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control shows that at the end of 2022, 285,014 Hispanics/Latinos were living with HIV in the US and dependent areas, including Puerto Rico. And that Hispanic\Latinx represent 32% of new HIV diagnoses when only represent 19% of the total population of U.S. National data also shows that 22% of Latinx were still diagnosed with HIV at a late stage. Depending on the area of the country, up to over fifty percent of Hispanic/Latinx persons have never been tested for HIV. PrEP uptake is disproportionate lower in the Hispanic/Latinx community, where for each new diagnosis of HIV there are nine people taking PrEP whereas for each new HIV diagnosis in the white community there are thirty-five people taking PrEP.


This year's NLAAD theme, "Start treatment. Stick to It. Get Better." is a call to action to the members of our community who are living with HIV to choose a treatment plan that agrees with their lifestyle, activities, schedules, staying in care and being adherent to the treatment which will make them achieve an undetectable viral load. At a larger scale, it is also directed to all the community to learn about HIV prevention and treatment and to address social stigma associated to HIV.

“Over the past few decades, federal, state, and local HIV prevention efforts, expanded access to effective HIV treatments, and the increased use of PrEP have significantly reduced new HIV diagnoses across various subpopulations”, stated Daniel Castellanos, Vice -president of Research and Innovation at the Latino Commission on AIDS during his opening remarks “However, this progress has been uneven. In some states, the decline in new diagnoses among Hispanics/Latinx has lagged behind that of the general population, while in others; new cases have continued to rise.”

Also present at the press conference were Council Member for District 3, Erik Bottcher; Adrian Guzman, Director of Policy and External Affairs for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Bureau of HIV; Omar Zapata Program Manager at Voces Latinas; Jonathan Rodriguez, Health Programs Coordinator at Hispanic Federation, and Luis Mares, Director of Community Mobilization and Director of NLAAD at the Latino Commission on AIDS.

"As the Council Member representing a district deeply impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it was an honor to join NLAAD and other organizations on National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day. Last year marked 20 years of creating awareness in the Latinx community—promoting HIV testing, prevention, and treatment, while addressing health disparities and improving access to vital services. I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure all communities have the resources and support they need," said New York City Council member Erick Bottcher.

Adrian Guzman, Director of Policy and External Affairs for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Bureau of HIV

Jonathan Rodriguez, Health Program Coordinator, Hispanic Federation

Omar Zapata, Program Manager, Voces Latinas. Credits: Max Guliani

Daniel Castellanos, Vice President of Research and Innovation, Latino Commission on AIDS. Credits: Max Guliani

"The New York City Health Department is proud to join the Latino Commission on AIDS in commemorating National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD),” said Adrian Guzman, Director of Policy and External Affairs for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Bureau of HIV. “While New York City continues to make progress toward our ending the epidemic goals, inequities persist. Latinx New Yorkers continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, consistently experiencing the second highest number of new HIV diagnoses each year after Black New Yorkers. The Health Department is committed to addressing the individual and system-level barriers that compound to place many Latinx New Yorkers at increased risk of HIV and poorer HIV-related health outcomes, including HIV-related stigma, knowledge gaps in HIV risk factors and prevention strategies, language barriers, lesser access to health care and health insurance, and institutional racism and xenophobia. Through continued investment and government/community partnership, we will ensure Latinx communities have access to the HIV and sexual health services they need to be healthy and thrive.”


"In recent years, we have witnessed an influx of new immigrants, and among them, many cisgender and transgender women living with HIV that have come to our offices seeking to be linked to medical care” stated Omar Zapata, Program Manager at Voces Latinas, “Unfortunately, this same population often faces unemployment, putting them in even more vulnerable situations, such as resorting to sex work without the proper knowledge about prevention. This reality underscores the need for targeted support and resources for these communities."

“We can prevent many infections by ensuring that individuals who receive a positive diagnosis are connected to care, receive treatment, and maintain undetectable status” stated Jonathan Rodriguez, Health Program Coordinator at the Hispanic Federation. “At the same time, it is crucial that our loved ones get tested and utilize available prevention methods. This is the core of Hispanic Federation’s work in addressing stigma and promoting health within our communities.”

“Last year we were here celebrating 20 years of NLAAD, and we knew then as we know now that we still have a long way to go to end this HIV epidemic. Hopefully by the year 2030 as it is planned” stated Luis Mares, Director of Community Mobilization at the Latino Commission on AIDS. “This year NLAAD wanted to bring the focus of the campaign on HIV treatment, but not only because of the new treatment options available, which are now more than ever with different strategies, but also to bring attention to the challenges and difficulties our community must confront to access medical care and HIV treatment. We need to address those social inequities to be able to end the HIV epidemic.”



NLAAD continues to intensify efforts to address the new increases of HIV cases among young Gay men of color; Cis gender Latinas and Transgender communities. Stigma and health inequities in accessing health care and prevention services are some of the continued challenges that must be addressed consistently.