September 25, 2003

The Latino HIV Task Force, a group of Houston health agencies, will offer free HIV testing October 15 as part of the first National Latino AIDS Awareness Day.

Testing will be available at La Nueva Casa De Amigos Health Center, 1809 N. Main; Magnolia Multi-Service Center, 7037 Capitol; Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center, 6402 Market Street and Clinica Santa Cruz, 8345 Long Point, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Participants will receive a 30-minute telephone calling card that allows users to make national or international calls.

Hispanics in Houston and Harris County represent 17 percent of the 7,244 HIV infections reported to the Houston Department of Health and Human Services since 1999. They also make up 15 percent of the 20,492 local AIDS cases reported to the department since the start of the epidemic in 1981.

Last year the Houston Department of Health and Human Services convened the task force to help increase education and awareness of HIV, AIDS and sexually-transmitted diseases among Hispanics.

The task force is comprised of health agencies and community-based organizations providing HIV and AIDS prevention programs or medical treatment. They are AIDS Foundation Houston, Amigos Volunteers in Education and Services (AVES), Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA), Community Family Centers, Fundación Latino Americana Contra el Sida (FLAS), Harris County Hospital District, Houston Area Community Services (HACS), Montrose Clinic, Texas Children’s Hospital, Planned Parenthood, St. Hope Foundation, Incremental Marketing, American Red Cross, Project WAVE and Family Services.

For more information, call 713-794-9320.