7th Annual World Aids Day Celebration  

Eustis, FL– The Florida Department of Health in Lake County will host their 7th Annual World AIDS day celebration of life event at Berry Park located at 1212 Johns Ave Leesburg, Florida on Friday, December 2, from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM.  A portion of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on public display and HIV testing and Hepatitis B vaccinations will be provided at no cost. The event is free and open to the public.
 
World AIDS Day is a global campaign to end AIDS and help bring awareness of the disease worldwide. First organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1988, the World AIDS Day theme for 2016 is “Focus, Partner, Achieve:  An AIDS-Free Generation”. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away.
 
The most recent statistics states that at the end of 2014, the State of Florida had 104,342 adults living with HIV/AIDS. Florida still remains number 3 in the United States.  In 2014 in Florida, 23% of all new cases were among persons aged 50 and over.  For 18 consecutive years HIV/AIDS has been the leading cause of death for black females between the ages of 25-44 and is currently the 3rd leading cause of death for black males ages 25-44.  In addition, the February 2015 statistics indicate the following for all the HIV/AIDS cases in Florida: 43% of cases were men having sex with (MSM). 34% of cases were heterosexual which is slightly higher than last year; cases by race: Whites 29%, Blacks 48% and Hispanic 21%.
 
It is important to know that every 9 ½ minutes, another person in the United States becomes infected with HIV. HIV/AIDS knows no boundaries; it affects all of us, regardless of our race, gender, or income. That is why it is important to “Take the Test, Take Control”.
 
In addition to the free rapid 20-minute testing offered at the event, the Florida Department of Health in Lake County can perform a mouth swab to test for HIV, which will be sent to the State laboratory. Results are available in approximately 3 weeks. For more information, please contact the Florida Department of Health’s Disease Control Program office at 352-771-5547.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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