June 27th is HIV Testing Day. In honor of that, we’ve compiled a list of testing sites and resources throughout the Rio Grande Valley that people can use or inquire about.
In 2020, the Center for Disease Control released data showing that overall HIV rates in the United States had gone down by 6%, but for Latinx people, in particular, rates increased by 14%. And while in the state of Texas, rates have usually been higher in San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston, the Rio Grande Valley follows right after.
This special report by KRGV sources that data and elaborates on the need for broader healthcare resources in the RGV, the stigma around HIV, and how dating apps/lack of communication contribute to those high rates.
In 2018, due to rising rates in South Texas, UTRGV was awarded a $430,000 grant from the National Institute of Health to begin research and develop a new, affordable anti-HIV drug that is stronger and more effective.
As research has continued, it’s come to light that HIV disproportionately affects Latinx people, right after Black people. As the publication The Body stated: