NEW YORK, August 27, 2026 – National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) is taking place on October 15, and this year’s campaign aims to empower individuals to take charge of their health by getting tested for HIV—whether at home or at a local testing center. The initiative will feature community-led HIV testing events across the country.

This year’s theme, “Knowing Your HIV Status Is a Good Place to Start,” pairs with visuals illustrating how all kinds of relationships begin with small, everyday moments—two elbows accidentally touching, sharing a train seat, reaching for the same thing, or locking eyes at the gym. No matter where a new relationship leads, knowing your HIV status is the best foundation for a healthy relationship with yourself and others.

Today, we have more tools than ever to prevent HIV, diagnose it early, and live healthier after a diagnosis. Reflecting on this year’s campaign, a good place to start is by testing in a safe space—whether that means using an at-home self-test or visiting a testing center for direct support from healthcare professionals.

Why HIV Testing Matters
HIV continues to disproportionately affect Hispanic/Latino communities. Despite representing one-fifth of the total U.S. population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that Hispanic/Latino communities accounted for a third (12,860 cases) of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. in 2024. Alarmingly, one in five people diagnosed was already living with AIDS, underscoring the importance of earlier HIV testing and diagnosis.

As of 2018, A CDC survey estimated that 49% of Hispanics/Latinos have never been tested for HIV in their lifetime. Furthermore, 16% of them living with HIV didn’t know they had it in 2022. Increasing overall testing, home testing, and targeted outreach is just one of many ways to break the cycles of transmission, late diagnosis, intensive acute care, and worsened outcomes within the Hispanic/Latino community.

To turn these critical needs into direct action, last year’s campaign mobilized grassroots organizations to host 19 NLAAD events across 11 states and Puerto Rico, while an additional 81 organizations observed the awareness day. This year, partner organizations are already hard at work planning events that bring NLAAD’s mission to life.
“Local organizations have transformed NLAAD from an awareness day into a powerful national movement. Through free HIV testing events, food and music festivals, faith-based activities, beauty pageants, just to name a few, their grassroots events have created spaces for HIV education and HIV action, and ensuring that our message reaches every community, everywhere,” said Guillermo Chacón, President of the Latino Commission on AIDS

“During NLAAD, we continually seek innovative ways to meet our community right where they are. Through ‘Lola’, our mobile HIV testing unit traveling across San Juan, we offer rapid one-minute testing alongside STI counseling. Last year, we partnered with two local organizations to offer support inside their facilities while Lola provided accessible testing right outside. At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to empathy: delivering human-centered care with warmth, dignity, and a voice that truly reflects our community. ¡Lola sigue dando candela en las calles de San Juan!” said Mónica García Delgado, Program Manager at PR-MTU, AHF Puerto Rico

Get Involved in NLAAD
We invite individuals and organizations to participate in this year’s campaign by:

• Learning and sharing information about HIV testing, PrEP, treatment, and U=U
• Organizing and registering your NLAAD 2026 event at nlaad.org
• Inviting people to order their free HIV at-home self-test at together.takemehome.org
• Participating in NLAAD 2026 webinar series
• Using and distributing NLAAD campaign materials, including infographics, posters, and social media resources available on our website
• Tagging #NLAAD and #NLAAD2026 to amplify the message online
• Partnering with healthcare providers, community-based organizations, health departments, and community and faith leaders
• Reaching out to local TV stations, newspapers, and social media influencers to cover your event

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For event registration or media inquiries, please contact:
Karina Escamilla, Director of Community Mobilization, Latino Commission on AIDS, kescamilla@latinoaids.org