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The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) released a new study in observance of National Latino AIDS
Awareness Day on October 15. Published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report, the study, titled “Geographic Differences in HIV Infection Among
Hispanics or Latinos—46 States and Puerto Rico, 2010,” examined the
characteristics of Hispanics or Latinos who were diagnosed with HIV in 2010 and
the geographic distribution of HIV in Puerto Rico and the 46 states with
long-term name-based HIV reporting.
The report found that HIV continues
to be a serious health threat to Latinos throughout the United States, as the
rate of new infections among Hispanics is three times higher than that for
whites (26.4 versus 9.1 per 100,000). The report also emphasized significant
regional differences in the Latino epidemic: Latinos in the Northeast United
States had the highest HIV diagnosis rates in the nation and were more likely
than those in other regions to be infected through injection drug use, whereas
Latinos in the South had the highest number of new diagnoses and were more
likely than those in the Northeast to be infected through contact with men who
have sex with men (MSM). Report data showed that Latino gay and bisexual men
are by far most affected, accounting for more than 80 percent of all infections
among Latino men. Furthermore, Latinas (Hispanic women) also are severely
impacted—with rates of new HIV infections four times that of white women.
Federal and community-based programs
are fighting HIV in Latinos. The federal program, the National HIV/AIDS
Strategy (NHAS), calls for prioritizing US HIV efforts on highly impacted
populations, including Latinos. At the community level, CDC is reaching Latinos
through a three-year demonstration project in 12 US cities with the highest HIV
burden. Also, CDC has funded 34 community-based organizations (CBOs) to expand
prevention among young MSM and young transgendered persons of color; 18 of the
34 CBOs reach out specifically to Hispanic MSM. CDC has also expanded the Act
Against AIDS Leadership Initiative to include national Latino organizations
that work extensively with larger Latino communities. There is no single
solution to the epidemic among Latinos, and the work must occur on all
levels—national, state, community, and individual.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
