Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - From November 30th through December 3, 2011, SETAC GLBT Community Center, in collaboration with COMUSIDA, Jalisco's Secretary of Health and Pitillal's City Hall, offered free HIV testing to Puerto Vallarta citizens.

Over 400 people were tested for HIV antibodies as part of Vallarta's weekend-long observance of International AIDS Day, a worldwide public health campaign that takes place every year on December 1st to encourage HIV counseling and testing.

In Vallarta, 403 people were tested, 196 men and 207 women, of which only 3 were reactive. According to CAPASITS, a local organization that provides medical care and psychological assistance to patients and relatives of people infected with HIV, 71 new cases of HIV infection were reported this year in Puerto Vallarta.

In an effort to reduce this number, in addition to the 403 rapid HIV tests administered, 11,500 condoms were distributed at the 3 different testing sites that were set up around the city for the 4-day event.

It is important to mention that the largest provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the US, the Aids Health Care Foundation, was one of the event sponsors. The AHF works in collaboration with the SETAC Community Center to take action and test all people, regardless of sexual preference, on a regular basis.

As the World AIDS Day event was so well attended, Centro Comunitario SETAC - GLBT will continue offering rapid HIV rapid testing everyday from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm at their center on the South side of Puerto Vallarta. For more information, call (322) 224-1974 or send an email to contacto(at)gmail.com.mx.

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The purpose of the SETAC Puerto Vallarta Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Community Center, located at Constitucion #427 on the corner of Manuel Dieguez, is to provide essential services to the GLBT community, including support in recovery from alcoholism and other afflictions, physical and mental health treatment and referrals, education and recreation in an atmosphere of safety, free from discrimination. For more information, contact Javier Gallegos at (322) 224-1974 or javisetac(at)gmail.com.

Click HERE to learn more about Centro Comunitario SETAC-GLBT.