HOUSTON – The University of Houston is taking part in the ongoing fight to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
In recognition of Feb. 7, which is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the university will host a panel discussion about the epidemic in Texas and the South.
Leaders in HIV/AIDS research and policy will address the issue.
According to data from the group AIDSVu, in Houston, the number of people diagnosed with HIV is twice the national average.
Among Houston residents diagnosed with HIV, 50 percent are black and 27 percent are Latino. And according to the CDC, eight of the 10 states with the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses are in the South.
The panel discussion will be held Wednesday from 10 until 11 a.m. at Hilton University of Houston's Waldorf Room, located at 4450 University Drive in Houston.