Univision 41’s “Las Caras del VIH”.

As part of Univision’s health initiative, “Salud es Vida…¡Entérate!” (Lead a healthy life…Get the facts!), Univision (WXTV Channel 41 New York) launched a campaign to make people aware of the impact of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community. The campaign promotes AIDS prevention and HIV testing. The launch of the one-month campaign, “Las Caras del VIH” (Faces of HIV), coincided with the commemoration of World AIDS Day on December 1st, date that marks the kick-off of AIDS Awareness Month.

The partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation and the collaboration of the Latino Commission on AIDS, resulted in the production of four public service announcements and news stories produced in semi-documentary style, giving each topic a “face and a name,” personalizing each one. ‘Real’ people volunteered their time and shared with viewers their personal stories on how they have been directly or indirectly affected by this epidemic. The topics featured are: Testing, Latinas and HIV, Parents and Communication, and Youth and HIV.

The campaign highlights the Kaiser Family Foundation’s toll free number 1-866-TU SALUD where viewers may request information about HIV/AIDS, prevention and local referrals to testing sites. Viewers will also find additional information about local testing sites and resource centers by logging onto www.univsion.com keyword: Enterate.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Latinos in the United States have been disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. HIV remains one of the leading causes of death for Latinos between the ages of 25 and 44. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the case rate for Latinas was more than 5 times the rate for white women. More than two young people are infected with HIV every hour in the U.S.