State Rolls Out AIDS Awareness Campaign in Lowrider

The state Department of Health Services on Monday unveiled its latest promotion tool for the state’s AIDS prevention campaign: a shiny, red lowrider that will tour the state for the next 15 months, taking the message of AIDS prevention to car shows and other events in hopes of grabbing young people’s attention.

The campaign is part of the department’s efforts to reach out to diverse California populations in the fight against the spread of HIV. Although lowrider cars have recently attracted attention across a wide sector, they remain most popular among young Latinos, campaign organizers said.

“We’re trying to increase awareness and reduce HIV infection rates . . . by presenting messages in a way that young people can relate to and remember,” said state Health Director Diana M. Bonta.

At each of the tour’s stops, representatives from local AIDS prevention organizations will distribute information and answer questions about HIV and AIDS, Bonta said.

Latinos account for about one of every three new AIDS cases in California, she said.

Univision talk show host Cristina Saralegui--sometimes called the queen of Latin American television--helped kick off the lowrider tour by arriving at Plaza de La Raza in East Los Angeles in the fully refurbished 1953 Chevy Bel-Air.

The Chevy, donated by a Modesto car club, has been fitted with new hydraulics, audio system, chrome trim, rims and upholstery. “[The car] is a magnet,” said Saralegui, describing it as a catchy way to address the serious problem of AIDS in the Latino community.

The state is reaching out to other ethnic groups with a number of statewide prevention campaigns, such as the “Rap It Up” rap contest, which targets the African American community.