As Healthland previously reported, Latinos in America are longer lived than whites or blacks, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The bad news? Although Latinos comprise 14% of the national population, they make up 19% of the HIV-positive community and that number is climbing.
Since 2002, October 15 has been a day devoted to recognizing and addressing the threat of HIV in the Latino community in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. (More on Time.com: Health Checkup: How to Live to 100 Years Old)
Organizations including the Latino Commission on AIDS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are trying to harness the same factors that help enhance longevity in Latinos — namely, the strength of the family unit and the education that older members offer youngsters — to disseminate potentially life-saving information about HIV as well.
“I believe one of the crucial things to do is to put attention with our parents, create training opportunities to educate them to educate their kids so that it comes from [the] home,” said Guillermo Chacon, director of the Latino Commission on AIDS.
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