ROCHESTER — Ibero-American Action League’s Puerto Rican Youth Development and Resource Center hosted an HIV/AIDS health fair to raise awareness in the Latino community.
Free same-day screening and testing were provided as part of the July 28 health fair held at Ibero’s Family Center on Clifford Avenue in collaboration with the city and the Greater Rochester Health Foundation. Ibero/PRYD staff also provided information as well as entertainment and food.
Because Ibero/PRYD’s mission is to serve youths, the agency’s goal is to ensure that Latino youths have the resources to make educated decisions on their health, their relationships and their future, stated Aida Veras, PRYD’s executive director and vice president of Ibero’s children and youth division.
July also was Latino HIV Testing Month statewide, according to a press release from the New York State Department of Health. Latinos represent 17 percent of New York’s population but account for 32 percent — 40,400 people — of all New Yorkers diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, according to Dr. Nirav R. Shah, the state’s health commissioner.
For more information on testing and other resources locally, call Jessica Wilson, the health fair coordinator, at 585-325-3570. For more information about HIV/AIDS, call the state health department hotline at 1-800-541-AIDS (Spanish, 1-800-233-SIDA) or visit www.health.ny.gov/disease/aids.
