Latinos & HIV/AIDS

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I attended a workshop on Hispanic health disparities: HIV/AIDS, Nutrition, and Mental Health presented by Borinquen Health Care Center this afternoon.

18% of HIV/AIDS cases are Latinos. Miami is the #1 city in the country in the number of HIV infections. Latinas (women) are more likely than non-hispanic whites to become infected with HIV. Latinas are 5 times more likely to become infected with HIV as compared to other ethnic groups. One of the cultural issues that needs to be overcome in order to stop this epidemic is traditional gender roles. Women need to be proactive and not fear talking about protection/negoiation with a potential partner prior to any sexual encounter. What is the new face of HIV/AIDS? It is not only through homosexual contact, but also heterosexual contact.

We should not be afraid to talk about condom use and prevention. According to the presenters, we need to bring our religious leaders together to work on this issue. We have an incredible tool available to eliminate any new infections - that is education. We need to work together using a family-based approach to provide education, screening, and treatment. Effective programs will work through a tripod approach: (1) family, (2) faith organizations, and (3) community.

NCLR and the National Network to Eliminate Health Disparities are working together to build a new toolkit for working with Latinos on HIV/AIDS education. We have recieved a copy of the toolkit and will be providing feedback prior to mass distribution.

This workshop was powerful because many people shared their own stories and experiences with HIV/AIDS. One of the presenters shared an example of what a person with HIV looks like - and he said, "Look at me. This is what a person with HIV looks like. I am HIV-positive and have been for the last 15 years." Another man in the audience shared his story as well.

HIV/AIDS is an issue that definately needs to get more attention in the Latino community. We have to move beyond our fear, our cultural barriers, and stop ignoring the problem. Latinos represent the fastest growing group of HIV infections. More research is needed to determine why there are so many new infections amongst Latinos - is it unprotected sex, other addictions, or other factors.

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