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Today is World AIDS Day. What's Happening in LA?
Photo by Benjamin Page via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Today, an estimated 33 million people around the world are living with HIV, according to statistics shared by LA County officials. In Los Angeles County, an estimated 60,000* people live with HIV and/or AIDS. December 1st is World AIDS Day, and there are several events taking place today in Los Angeles in honor of this somber day of awareness and activism. "The Los Angeles city government will hold its commemoration of World AIDS Day at the JW Marriott at LA Live, with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa among the scheduled speakers," reports the Daily Breeze, who have details about multiple events in the area, including:
- Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center Health Fair (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.)
- 17th annual Noche De Las Memorias community event at The Wall-Las Memorias AIDS Monument (4 p.m)
- Candlelight vigil at West Hollywood City Hall. (6 p.m.)
To mark World AIDS Day, a number of celebs have launched social media campaigns, like those who are ditching Twitter to raise bucks for the cause. Regular folks can use Twitter and Google Maps will translate the efforts to show who is taking part in the #turnred campaign. Local teens are getting involved, like at King/Drew Medical Magnet High School in South Los Angeles, where they are holding an all-day HIV/AIDS awareness and rapid HIV testing event for their students.
*Editor's note: An earlier version of this story included erroneous information supplied in a LA County DHS press release. The error is explained as follows by Stella Quan, MPH, Senior Health Educator, Rand Schrader Health & Research Center, LAC+USC Healthcare Network: "Please note that the sentence 'In Los Angeles County, an estimated sixty percent (60 %) of people live with HIV and/or AIDS' is a typo. It should state that an estimated 60,000 people in Los Angeles County live with HIV and / or AIDS. This means that approximately 60,000 people in Los Angeles County are infected with the HIV virus, although not all have AIDS."
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