[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22966]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             IN HONOR OF NATIONAL LATINO AIDS AWARENESS DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Saturday, September 27, 2008

  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
honor the sixth annual National Latino AIDS Awareness Day which will be 
observed on October 15, 2008.
  National Latino AIDS Awareness Day is a call to action for all 
Latinos to protect their lives and the lives of those they love by 
getting tested and learning about HIV.
  In my district in Orange County, CA, over half of all new HIV 
infections take place among Latinos. Nationwide, Latinos continue to be 
affected by HIV at a disproportionately high rate, representing over 20 
percent of HIV/AIDS cases.
  The AIDS Services Foundation of Orange County is a critical resource 
that works to prevent the spread of HIV and improve the lives of men, 
women, and children affected by HIV/AIDS. This year, they have arranged 
for rapid HIV testing to be available at the Community Health Fair 
taking place in downtown Santa Ana, in my district, as a part of 
Binational Health Week in October 2008.
  In addition, the AIDS Services Foundation of Orange County offers 
invaluable services to our community by providing food, transportation, 
housing, emergency financial assistance, kids and family programs, 
counseling, education, and prevention services.
  We all must work together to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS in our 
families, communities, cities, States, Nation, and around the globe. To 
do this we must not let differences in language and culture be a 
barrier to providing access to preventative measures, healthcare, and 
support services.
  In honor of National Latino AIDS Day, I urge my colleagues in 
Congress and all Americans to renew our commitment to the fight to stop 
the spread of HIV and AIDS.

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