Saturday is World AIDS Day.
One McAllen pastor said he is going to set an example by getting tested in front of his congregation on Sunday.
Pastor Nicholas Maddox of the Bethel Life Church has seen people close to him effected by AIDS and said that everyone can do something now, even if it is just knowing your status.
"We can do something before the numbers get to high or before it gets completely out of hand," said Maddox.
Maddox believes there is help and that’s why they have teamed up with the Valley AIDS Council.
“In the last 10 years year we've normally had approximately 74 people that have tested for HIV Positive,” said Oscar Lopez with the Valley AIDS Council. “This year alone we have exceeded that number."
Lopez is the director of education and said that in the Valley, there are 3,000 people with HIV and of those 85 percent of them already have AIDS.
He said Latinos don’t test early so by the time they test for HIV, they already have an AIDS diagnosis.
Pastor Maddox is welcoming everyone to come to his church and learn.
"When people are affected the support system is gone,” said Maddox. “When you need family when you need community and sometimes those things are gone."
He hopes that more people will become aware to this growing problem.
Anyone with questions about the HIV test or would like to get tested can call the HIV Testing Hotline 1-888-333-SIDA.
The test is free and can be done without blood work.
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