Health District observes National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 14, 2024

LAS VEGAS – The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) observes National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) on Tuesday, October 15, focusing on the disproportionate impact of HIV in Hispanic/Latinx communities while promoting effective ways to prevent, treat and stop the transmission of HIV among Hispanic/Latinx people.

Approximately 1.2 million people in the United States have HIV. About 13% of them have it but don’t know it. Nearly 32,000 new cases were reported nationally in 2022. In 2023, Clark County reported 500 new HIV cases, 200 of which were among Hispanics. Some 12,000 people in Clark County were living with HIV in 2023, and of those, 3,683 were Hispanic.

At some point in their lives, an estimated one in 36 Hispanic men will be diagnosed with HIV, as will one in 106 Hispanic women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of new HIV infections among Hispanic men is nearly three times that of white men, and the rate among Hispanic women is more than four times that of white women.

HIV testing is readily available in Southern Nevada:

• SNHD offers express testing at no cost from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday at the Southern Nevada Health District Main Public Health Center, 280 S. Decatur Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.
• No-cost express testing is available at the Fremont Public Health Center, 2830 E. Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 89104, from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. each Friday. No appointments are needed, but clients must be asymptomatic.
• HIV testing is available at no cost in the Arleen Cooper Community Health Center at The Center, 401 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89101. Hours are 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday – Thursday and 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are accepted.
• SNHD’s Collect2Protect program offers free at-home HIV tests, giving people a convenient and private option for testing. The kits can be requested through the Collect2Protectpage.

Same-day HIV testing and treatment services are also available in the Southern Nevada Community Health Center, 280 S. Decatur Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107, and at the Fremont Public Health Center. HIV services include testing, medical, behavioral health, nutrition, case management, pharmaceutical, and educational services, including PEP and PrEP navigation and treatment for those who test negative. Services are offered for insured and uninsured patients. Sliding fee scale discounts are available to all patients who qualify.

For more information about National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day, visit National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day | HIV.gov.

The Southern Nevada Health District serves as the local public health authority for Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. The agency safeguards the public health of the community’s residents and visitors through innovative programs, regulations, and initiatives focused on protecting and promoting their health and well-being. More information about the Health District, its programs, services, and the regulatory oversight it provides is available at www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.