By Jane Erwin
August 13, 1998

Early in the AIDS epidemic, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized that Hispanics were being disproportionately affected and took steps to target prevention efforts, including program funding, assessments, and behavioral research projects. But the rate of HIV and AIDS among Hispanics continues to climb.

Even though Hispanics make up just 11 percent of the U.S. population, they account for almost 19 percent of all AIDS cases, according to the Harvard AIDS Institute. And the institute predicts that in five years the annual number of AIDS cases among Hispanics will surpass the number among non-Hispanic whites.

what you can do

Healthcare professionals play an important role in the battle against HIV and AIDS. But some studies show healthcare workers often don’t talk to patients about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, said Janna Zumbrun, field operations manager for the Texas Department of Health’s bureau of HIV and STD prevention. "It can be difficult to talk about sex in our society. Many people aren’t comfortable with it. Health professionals need more awareness and education about where this epidemic is heading and how to discuss it with their patients."

A survey released in May by the Kaiser Family Foundation provides new data on Hispanics’ knowledge about HIV and AIDS. The foundation’s National Survey of Latinos on HIV/AIDS found that more than two-thirds of Hispanics (69 percent) have never talked with a healthcare provider about HIV or AIDS. Of the 31 percent who have, 24 percent talked specifically about infection risks, and 19 percent discussed getting tested.

cultural issues

Language, gender, religious beliefs, age, and place of origin all can be barriers to understanding a prevention message or taking action to ensure good health.

"We still do not have enough prevention programs addressed to Latinos," said Louis Martinez-Gouthier, MD, a research associate with the University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health. "They see sexuality in a different way, depending on the way they were brought up. For example, in some cultures, there is a belief that if you are a man having sex with another man, but you are the aggressor, you’re not gay. Now, if someone believes that and hears a message about AIDS affecting gay men, he’s not going to pay attention."

The Hispanics interviewed for the Kaiser survey were eager for more information about preventing the spread of AIDS. Hispanics are more likely than the general public to say they want more information, particularly on how to talk to children about HIV and AIDS, how to discuss AIDS with sex partners, where to go for help if exposed to HIV, and where to go for HIV testing, according to the survey.

Of those surveyed, 91 percent said AIDS is a major threat to public health in this country, with 67 percent saying it is a more urgent problem today than a few years ago. According to the survey, 46 percent of Hispanics are "very worried" about becoming infected with HIV, a level of worry almost double that found in a national sample of all Americans.

increasing awareness

Both the federal government and local groups are committed to increasing HIV and AIDS awareness. Healthy People 2000, the federal government’s health promotion and disease prevention plan, includes a goal of having at least 75 percent of primary health and mental health providers provide age-appropriate counseling on transmission of AIDS and other STDs.

In Houston, Amigos Volunteers in Education and Services is working to fight HIV and AIDS in the Hispanic community. AVES started in 1989 with a $35,000 state grant to provide support in one neighborhood to Hispanics who had AIDS or were HIV-positive. Today, it offers education on AIDS, HIV, and other STDs, plus screenings, exams, and social and family planning services in 12 counties.

AVES Director Angela Mora believes the main barrier to AIDS education is a lack of funding. "We need materials targeted to specific groups and the general public," she said. "We started years ago with literature targeted to educated gay males, and most everything after that has been the same."

There’s also a need for literature for parents. The Kaiser survey reported 70 percent of Hispanic parents want to know how to discuss the disease with their children. "The federal government and funding sources haven’t done much for parents," Mora said. "Often, when we go out to do a class or hold screenings, lots of women bring their children. They want them included, want them educated."

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