Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kaylyn Kendall Dines
www.umdnj.edu
(973) 972-3000
E-mail: dineskd@umdnj.edu

UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
UMDNJ Sponsors Newark's Third Latino AIDS and Health Festival at Branch Brook Park

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is hosting the third Latino AIDS and Health Festival on Friday, June 27, from 2 p.m to 7 p.m., at Branch Brook Park (between Park Avenue and First Street) in Newark. If there is inclement weather, the festival will be held at Barringer High School, 90 Parker Street, Newark.

DJ Alex Sensation, of radio station Mega 97.9 FM; Juan Carlos & Gloria, of "Hola N.Y." on radio station 93.1 FM Amor; and DJ Rey-Mo, of Heavy Hitter, will be special guests. Also, singer Troke will perform his hits "She's the One" and "Falsa Mujer."

The festival is being sponsored by the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in collaboration with the City of Newark, Newark Councilman-at-Large Luis Quintana, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services' Division of AIDS Prevention and Control, 100 Black Men of New Jersey, Inc., and local community-based organizations.

The theme and primary purpose of this free festival is to encourage individuals to "Take the HIV Test and Take Control." This festival is being coordinated to increase awareness of the National HIV Testing Day which will be held on June 27.

Health professionals will conduct health screenings and distribute information about the diagnosis and treatment of medical illnesses such as: HIV and AIDS, diabetes, high blood pressure, glaucoma, prostate and oral cancer. In addition to health exhibits, the festival will feature Merengue, Salsa, R&B, Gospel, and HIP-HOP music; food; raffles and giveaways.

Dr. Robert L. Johnson, acting chair and professor of pediatrics, and director of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine (DAYAM) at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, said, "The Latino AIDS and Health Festival was established to promote healthy families and provide health education information about HIV and other illnesses that disproportionately affect the Latino community. "Research indicates that 25 percent of all new HIV infections in the United States occur among people between the ages of 13 and 21," Dr. Johnson said.

According to the United States Office of National AIDS Policy, this statistic means approximately two young people are infected with HIV every hour. However, early diagnosis can significantly increase the effectiveness of medical treatments.

The Spend Time on Prevention (STOP) Mobile-Unit Outreach Program, which is a component of the Division for Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine (DAYAM) at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, provides HIV and AIDS testing, counseling and support services for adults and adolescents in Newark and the surrounding Essex County communities.

Representatives from the STOP program, UMDNJ-University Hospital, the Newark Community Diseases Prevention Treatment Center and the FOCUS Community Health Center will also attend the event.

For more information about the Latino AIDS and Health Festival, call 1-800-249-7750 or (973) 972-8216.

The UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School is one of three medical schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). UMDNJ comprises New Jersey's only medical schools, the state's only dental school, a nursing school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions and a school of public health on campuses in Newark, Piscataway/New Brunswick, Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ also operates University Hospital and University Behavioral HealthCare in Newark and Piscataway. It is affiliated with more than 200 health care and educational institutions throughout the state.

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