Transcript key issues facing latino community in addressing hiv/aids

KEY ISSUES FACING LATINO COMMUNITY
IN ADDRESSING HIV/AIDS
AN OVERVIEW
MAJOR HEALTH DISPARTY
• The rate of newly diagnosed AIDS cases per
100,000 for the Latino/Hispanic community in
2006 was 3.75 times greater than that of Whites
• Latinos/Hispanics were more than four times
(4.35) more likely than Whites to develop AIDS
within 12 months of testing positive for HIV. A
strong indicator of late diagnosis and the late
start of treatment.
• Latinos/Hispanics are three times more likely to
die of HIV than Whites
ROOTS OF LATINO EPIDEMIC
• UNPROTECTED SEX BETWEEN MEN REMAINS
PRIMARY SOURCE OF HIV INFECTIONS AMONG
LATINOS
• LATINOS IN SOME AREAS (EASTERN SEABOARD
AND PUERTO RICO) HAVE HIGHER RATES OF
INFECTION DUE TO INJECTION DRUG USE WITH
HIV COMTAMINATED SYRINGES
• HETEROSEXUAL TRANSMISSION IS DOMINANT
FOR LATINAS AND A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF
LATINO MEN (19%)
PREVENTION
• NEED TO ADDRESS STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH
USING SAFER SEX STRATEGIES AND TESTING.
• ALMOST ONE-HALF OF LATINOS DO NOT WANT
TO BE TAUGHT BY TEACHER WITH HIV OR SHARE
A ROOM WITH A PERSON WITH HIV/AIDS (KAISER
2006).
• NEED BEHAVIORAL PREVENTION STRATEGIES
THAT LAST MORE THAN A FEW MONTHS AND
ARE ATTUNED TO CONTEXT OF RISK FOR LATINOS
ACCESS TO CARE
• DEVELOP, FUND AND IMPLEMENT
CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY EFFECTIVE
PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS TO INCREASE
HIV TESTING FOR HISPANICS
• ENSURE ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE
REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION OR HIV
STATUS
• INCLUDE ACCESS TO HOSPITALIZATION AS
PART OF RYAN WHITE CARE
RESEARCH
• NEED RESEARCH ON STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS
FEAR OF ACCESSING CARE
• FUND RESEARCH ON FACTORS THAT
CONTRIBUTE TO LATE HIV TESTING, DELAYED
CARE AND DISCONTINUATION OF CARE
AMONG LATINOS. WHY ARE LATINOS DYING
EARLIER WITH THIS DISEASE THAN WHITES?
IMMIGRATION
• MAKE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE GUIDELINES
FOR HIV/AIDS TREATMENT MANDATORY FOR
IMMIGRANTS DETAINED BY IMMIGRATION
AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE).
• ELIMINATE THE BAN ON ENTERING COUNTRY
WITH HIV INFECTION
EPIDIMIOLOGY
• The CDC MUST ADDRESS THE INACCURACIES
IN TRACKING ETHINICITY WITHIN PUERTO
RICO AS COMPARED TO STATES.
• CDC SHOULD MAKE ANNUAL DATA BY STATE
AND TERRATORY AVAILABLE BY RISK, GENDER
AND ETHNICITY/RACE.