Diagnoses and Prevalence on HIV Among Latinos

By Eric Brus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recently published a new report, Diagnoses and Prevalence of HIV Infection Among Hispanics or Latinos-United States, 2008-2013, focused on the impact of HIV on Hispanic and Latino people. CDC noted that while Hispanics/Latinos represent about 17 percent of the U.S. population, they continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV infection.

"The disproportionate rate of HIV infection among Hispanics or Latinos and the disparities found within this population indicate that much work still needs to be done to reach Hispanics or Latinos at high risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV infection," the researchers concluded. "CDC and its partners are pursuing a high-impact prevention approach to maximize the effectiveness of current HIV prevention methods."

Of the approximately 912,000 persons living with diagnosed HIV infection in the U.S. at the end of 2012, 183,300 (20 percent) were Hispanics/Latinos. In addition, Hispanics/Latinos accounted for about 21 percent of the approximately 276,600 new HIV diagnoses among adults and adolescents during the period from 2008 through 2013.

The researchers found that, while the overall rates of new diagnoses among Hispanics/Latinos decreased about 14 percent during the period -- from 28.3 per 100,000 in 2008 to 24.3 per 100,000 in 2013 -- the number and proportion of new diagnoses attributed to male-to-male sexual contact substantially increased. Between 2008 and 2013, the estimated number of new diagnoses in this risk category rose about 16 percent from 6,141 to 7,098, while the percentage of total new diagnoses attributed to male-to-male sex increased from 62.7 percent to 71.4 percent.

A large proportion (43 percent) of Hispanics/Latinos who received an HIV diagnosis during the period were not born in the U.S. or the U.S. territory Puerto Rico. The CDC researchers noted that, "The large proportion of HIV diagnoses in the United States among Hispanics or Latinos who are immigrants is important to consider when developing HIV prevention interventions, given that approximately 40 percent of Hispanic or Latino immigrants do not speak English well or at all and because certain socioeconomic factors, such as limited access to health care, lack of health insurance, and poverty, might be at play."

In related news, the Latino Commission on AIDS (LCOA) has produced a four-page brief, The State of HIV & AIDS Among Hispanics/Latinos in the United States and Puerto Rico. The brief, which is also available in Spanish, summarizes recent CDC data and the challenges of addressing HIV/AIDS among Latinos/Hispanics, including the role of institutional stigma and barriers to community engagement.

"We hope to contribute to a better understanding of the complex challenges we face as community members, and the urgent need to develop comprehensive and culturally responsive strategies to address HIV, access to quality healthcare, and other health conditions disproportionately impacting our community," stated Guillermo Chac�n, LCOA president and founder of the Hispanic Health Network.

On NLAAD, the U.S. White House released Estrategia Nacional contra el VIH / SIDA: Actualizado Hasta 2020 -- a Spanish-language version of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020, which was released in July. The publication of the updated Strategy in Spanish is part of an ongoing effort to raise HIV/AIDS awareness and engage Hispanic/Latino communities in the Obama Administration's work towards an AIDS-free generation.

Eric Brus is the Director of Health Information at AIDS Action Committee. This report is produced by the Health Library of the AIDS Action Committee in collaboration with the New England AIDS Education and Training Center Minority AIDS Initiative Project. The full version is available online.