The St. Paul Pioneer Press on Wednesday examined the spread of HIV among Hispanic men in Minnesota. According to a recent state report, the number of newly recorded HIV cases among Hispanic men doubled from 2005 to 2006, rising from 17 to 37. Although the trend eased slightly between 2007 and 2008 -- when 33 and 25 new cases, respectively, were recorded -- the prevalence of HIV among Hispanics is still triple the overall rate. The Pioneer Press reports that HIV/AIDS in the Hispanic community is beginning to attract national attention and that the Obama administration's new HIV prevention campaign allocates funding for tailored prevention messages to the community.
Maria Alvarez, who assists in directing male Hispanic prevention efforts at CDC, said the "machismo" attitude that can lead some Hispanic men to take more risks in their sexual behavior is a major challenge when addressing the population. She said that Hispanic men also require different messages, depending on the country in which they were born. Alvarez said the "message is just not being delivered in a culturally appropriate way for Latinos, who are so diverse." READ FULL STORY
Comments