by Grace M. Rivera

The number of HIV cases among the Hispanic/Latino community is alarmingly rising. In August 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2005 Hispanic/Latinos represented 19% of the 40,608 new diagnoses in the 50 states and the District of Colombia, although they only represent 14% of the U.S. population.

Is this a concern to those of us in New England? It should be: AIDS cases among Latinos are highest in the eastern part of U.S., specifically in the Northeast. In 2005 the proportion of Latinos living with AIDS in the Northeast was 37% and new cases among Latinos were 33%.

The education of the Hispanic/Latino community about HIV/AIDS and the high risk of infection and transmission among its members could lead to early prevention and consequently to saving lives. As healthcare workers, advocates, friends and family, we need to be ready.

Grace Rivera is a diversity associate with Lifespan Corporate Services. Her article originally appeared in Diversity@Lifespan, a regularly published newsletter. To learn about other diversity initiatives at Lifespan, visit www.lifespan.org/services/hr/diversity. photo courtesy of Rivera

Between October and December 2007, Latino Public Radio’s Nuestra Salud offered Rhode Island’s Latino audience a series of programs entitled “HIV/AIDS: An epidemic in our community.” Sponsored by Rhode Island Hospital, the show is hosted by Dr. Pablo Rodríguez. But in this series, a variety of doctors and case workers presented: Karen Tashima, M.D. and Josiah D. Rich, M.D. along with case worker Sonia Gomes and a female client from The Miriam Hospital’s Samuel and Esther Chester Immunology Center. With expert insight and advice regarding the HIV/AIDS epidemic, they discussed how the disease is affecting the Latino community – nationally and locally, including teenagers, young adults and women – and what the stigmas attached to it look like within the Latino community.

Among Hispanic/Latinos, women represent one out of every five new cases of HIV. They are seven times more likely to get HIV from having high-risk heterosexual contact and injection drug use. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that among Hispanic/Latina women, HIV/AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death.

Often times, cultural and social factors may play a part in the high rates of HIV among Hispanic/Latinas. In particular, it may be difficult to talk about sex or even harder to convince a partner to use a condom. Many women are infected by their husbands and don’t even know it.

Socioeconomic factors associated with poverty such as unemployment, lack or inadequate health insurance and limited access to high-quality health care can increase the risk for HIV infection among Hispanic/Latinos. Hispanic/Latinos are more than likely to be given a diagnosis of the HIV disease during its late stages or when they already have AIDS, primarily because they are not accessing testing or health care services when infection is at the early stage.

To reduce the incidence of HIV, the CDC recommends: 1) Normalizing HIV screening as a routine part of medical care, for patients aged 13-64. Universal screening not tied to risk behaviors will help maximize opportunities for early diagnosis in medical settings and reduce the stigma still associated with HIV testing. 2) Maintaining HIV testing as voluntary and only with the patient’s knowledge. 3) Providing ‘linguistically and culturally appropriate HIV prevention services’ to transient and recent Hispanic/Latino immigrants. Recent immigrants face additional challenges of social isolation and lack of information about HIV/AIDS, which in turn increases their risk to exposure.

And of course, using Spanish language programs such as Latino Public Radio’s Nuestra Salud provides avenue accessible to all Hispanic/Latinos whether newly arrived or well-established.

For research on HIV/AIDS, visit www.cdc.gov or www.aids.gov, and visit www.lprri.org for more on Latino Public Radio.

Dr. Celia Lescano, a pediatric psychologist at Rhode Island Hospital, and her staff developed a family-based HIV prevention intervention for Latinos. They are recruiting Latino families in Rhode Island with an adolescent between 13 and 18, to receive family based HIV prevention intervention or a family-based general health promotion workshop. For information about this project, Latino STYLE, contact Lori-Ann Lima at (401)793-8075.