Today marks World AIDS Day and despite all the commercials, campaigns, and condoms, AIDS remains a dirty big secret in the Latino community. Acoording to the Latino Commission on AIDS, while we rep about 14% of the population in the U.S., we represent 20% of AIDS cases inside the US. Some more scary stats about AIDS in our community:

• Latinas, often the victims of sexism and machismo, now account for 25% of all Latino infections, as compared to only 2% in 1981.

• Latina intravenous drugs users are five times more likely to have AIDS than their White counterparts. Latino men who are intravenous drug users are 10 times more likely than White drug users to have AIDS.

• Latino men who have sex with men are three times more likely to test positive for HIV than White men who have sex with men.

• Heterosexual Latino men are 10 times more likely to test positive than their White counterparts. Latina heterosexuals are 7 times more likely than their White counterparts to be infected with HIV.

• Latino teens in the United States make up 19% of the national teenage population ages 13-19, but account for 20% of the cumulative AIDS cases.

Let’s be real, so many in our generation, Latinos in their 20′s and 30′s, don’t eveb know their HIV status because they haven’t gotten tested. When were you last tested for the HIV virus, the virus that is believed to cause AIDS? I was tested last summer. And yes, testing can be scary, but not knowing and possibly infecting other people should be even scarier.

The Latino community needs to get over its homophobia that surrounds AIDS because AIDS is not a disease just for “patos”. Men need to get over their machismo and practice safe sex. Mujeres need to step up to the homophobia and machismo and speak to our fellow sisters.

Today make a promise to do something to commemorate World AIDS Day. Get tested. Stock up on condoms. Educate yourself. Talk to your vecina about AIDS. Because the reality is that no se puede tapar el sol con un dedo, AIDS is here.

Via / The Latino Commission on AIDS