August 4, 2004

The Latino HIV Task Force, a group of Houston health agencies, will sponsor a "Meet & Greet" membership breakfast from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 17 at the American Red Cross, 2700 Southwest Freeway.

The event is open to those interested in increasing education and awareness of HIV, AIDS and sexually-transmitted diseases among Hispanics.

Hispanics in Houston and Harris County represent 18 percent of the 10,247 HIV infections reported to the Houston Department of Health and Human Services since 1999. They also make up 16 percent of the 22,084 local AIDS cases reported to the department since the start of the epidemic in 1981.

The task force, convened by the Houston Department of Health and Human Services in 2002, 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 713-798-0833.