National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) has been observed on the final day of Hispanic Heritage Month, Oct. 15, since 2003. NLAAD was instituted in response to the impact of HIV and AIDS on Latino communities nationwide.

Over the years, NLAAD has matured, becoming a national social marketing campaign, instrumental when it comes to promoting HIV awareness, testing, prevention and education. NLAAD additionally educates the Latino community on critical health issues such as STIs, Tuberculosis and Viral Hepatitis, doing so by spreading awareness through partners: community-based organizations, local health departments and faith-based congregations.

NLAAD has shaped 450 partnerships, organized 350 events in 45 states across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and administered thousands upon thousands of HIV tests. OraSure Technologies, one of NLAAD's partners, donated 5,000 HIV testing kits to HIV certified testing sites throughout the U.S. The result of collaborations with partners like OraSure translates to lives saved.

According to Avert.org, 20.28 percent of new diagnoses in 2011 were Hispanic/Latino. Also, Hispanics/Latinos are three times more likely to be infected with HIV than whites. Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that an estimated 1 in every 36 Hispanic/Latino men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 106 Hispanic/Latino women. Cultural factors, migration patterns and language barriers have been identified as barriers as it concerns HIV prevention and treatment within the Hispanic/Latino community. NLAAD hopes to alleviate some of these barriers.

In 2011, young people (13-24) accounted for 21 percent of new HIV infections (20 percent among Hispanics/Latinos); men who have sex with men accounted for 65 percent of new HIV cases in 2011 and people who inject drugs accounted for 8 percent of new HIV infections in 2010.

The Latino Commission on AIDS and the Hispanic Federation collaborate with local, regional and national partners to assist the public with requests for organizing local or regional events, which looks to promote health education and HIV awareness.

For more information on NLAAD or if you have any questions, contact Tony Ochoa, NLAAD Program Director, (212) 675-3288 x 337 or tochoa@latinoaids.org. Visit www.nlaad.org to join the campaign, register your NLAAD event, and to request campaign materials. Also, find NLAAD on Twitter and Facebook.