HIV, AIDS Continues To Impact Borderland

El Paso continues to be at risk. That was the message on World AIDS Day on Wednesday.

Local officials are calling AIDS in our area an epidemic.

Across the U.S. fewer than half of all Americans – 45 percent – have had an AIDS test.

That’s why public officials are pushing for screening, the most effective way to fight the deadly disease.

As part of world AIDS day, people were invited to get tested at the Premiere Cinemas at Bassett Place. The test was painless and free and in just 20 minutes can change someone’s life.

“Testing is the most important part of the celebration, ” said Jorge Salazar, the administrator of the largest HIV center in El Paso.

Salazar says the number of positive tests have tripled this year, “We went from 15 the year before, 13 in 2009 and we’re up to 34 and we haven’t closed the year yet.”

And that’s not all, “For every infected person, up to 5 or more people could also be in danger,” said Salazar.

Though AIDS is typically thought of as a disease for homosexual men, Salazar says it can affect anyone, “heterosexual women, women who have been at home with their kids and didn’t know they were infected until something happened and they got tested,” said Salazar.

Though deadly, AIDS is treatable.

But there’s no cure, so it’s important to get a diagnosis early.