Roland Gutierrez: “I rise toy to discuss the devastating effect HIV/AIDS has had on the Latino community and communities of color across…”

“I rise toy to discuss the devastating effect HIV/AIDS has had on the Latino community and communities of color across this country. Today, I am also pleased to be an original cosponsor of Congresswoman Hilda Solis' Concurrent Resolution to support the observance of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day. This bill was introduced at a pivotal time: the bedrock of our Nation's response to HIV/AIDS, the Ryan White CARE Act, expired last week on September 30, 2005. Unfortunately, HIV/AIDS has a disproportionate stronghold in the Latino community. The numbers are disturbing. The CDC has reported that 43,171 people were diagnosed with AIDS in 2003. Twenty percent of those reported were Latino, yet Latinos represent only 14 percent of the population. In the past 3 years, the number of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses among Latinos increased more than 14 percent. This disparity is on track to continue to grow even greater because the latest statistics show that AIDS diagnoses among whites has decreased three percent from 2000 to 2003. These trends are especially evident in our urban areas. According to the City of Chicago Department of Health, the 2003 AIDS rate was 32.9 per 100,000 people in Chicago. In the United States as a whole, the AIDS rate is half that. Chicago's high rate reflects the prevalence of AIDS in communities of color. In 2003, the AIDS rate for African-Americans in Chicago was three times the AIDS rate of Whites.…”