October 11, 2011
Oct. 14 is designated National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, and in recognition the DuPage County Health Department is offering free HIV tests. Counselors fluent in Spanish will be on hand to perform the tests and answer questions. CDC reports that the HIV infection rate among Hispanic men in 2009 was almost three times that of white men, while the rate among Latinas was more than four times that of white women. Of particular concern to public health authorities is the number of late testers, people who progress to AIDS less than one year after their first positive HIV test, among Hispanics. The free tests will be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the department's office at 245 W. Roosevelt Rd., Bldg. 14, West Chicago. For more on the awareness day, visit http://aids.gov/awareness-days/.