| Latino Commission on AIDS Reports HIV/AIDS Crisis in NY |
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Written by My Latino Voice
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In 2007, Latinos in New York State represented 16% of the population, but accounted for 30% of people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2008 of the 1,311 New York Latinos reported to have HIV infection, 449, or 34 percent, developed AIDS within the first year of their HIV diagnosis, which means they tested late in their infection, when it may have been too late to fully benefit from life-extending treatments. [1] CDC data shows that Latinos progress to AIDS faster than any other racial or ethnic group with 42% being diagnosed with AIDS within 12 months after learning of their positive HIV status compared to 34% late diagnosis among white non Hispanic and 35% among blacks. From January – December 2009, the Commission, with support from the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, conducted community consultations throughout the state, including 28 bilingual focus groups and interviewed over 400 individuals to better understand how HIV/AIDS and other health challenges are currently affecting New York’s Latino communities. Data collected was used to develop recommendations for improving existing services. The result of the statewide consultations is the new report New York State Responds to the Latino HIV/AIDS Crisis and Plans for Action. “This important report will guide us to better address the needs of our communities. We hope that by developing collaborations and partnerships, we will gain a greater understanding of how to address the many health challenges faced by our Latino communities during these difficult economic times,” said Guillermo Chacon, President of the Latino Commission on AIDS. “Among other important recommendations, this report calls for New York State to address the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS,” said New York Senate Health Committee Chair Thomas K. Duane (D, WFP-Manhattan). “This report illustrates the need for legislation that supports HIV testing as a routine part of health care and legislation that ends discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.” "Even though it has been twenty-nine years since the first cases of HIV/AIDS were diagnosed in New York City, we are still the epicenter of this epidemic,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “This report calls attention to the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and the need to combat the homophobia and transphobia that discourage Latinos and many other New Yorkers from talking openly about and getting tested for HIV. The findings in this report illustrate a need to redouble our efforts at raising awareness about this disease and that HIV testing should be a routine part of health screening.” “This report calls attention to the needs of some of our state and city’s most vulnerable populations,” said Dr. Monica Sweeney, the NYC Health Department’s assistant commissioner for HIV/AIDS. “To reduce HIV transmission, we must address social disadvantages that can foster risky behavior among adolescents and others. At the same time, we must strengthen outreach and education in the Latino community, and ensure that Latino immigrants feel safe accessing health care. New York City’s STD clinics never ask for health insurance or immigration status – and anyone can find one by calling 311.” "Sexual activity is a leading cause of HIV infection for Latino youth and yet many don’t have access to sexual health education," said Doctor Donna Futterman, Director of Adolescent AIDS Program and Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Montefiore Medical Center. “New York State needs to mandate comprehensive sex education that is not abstinence only in all public schools to ensure that our youth are provided with education that includes self-esteem building, decision making skills, HIV/STI prevention and pregnancy prevention. This report calls reminds us that school based education is especially important for young people from homes where sexuality is not discussed." “New York needs a public health response that includes sustained action and bilingual public education campaigns centered on fighting HIV related stigma and homophobia. This response must also honor the fact that for gay men, healthy sexuality is part of living a balanced and happy life,” said Heriberto Sanchez-Soto, Executive Director of Hispanic AIDS Forum. “This report reminds us of the need to move away from public health approaches that result in gay sexuality being associated with HIV infection and gay men as vectors of disease. Until we do this, men who have sex with men will shy away from accessing health services and will continue to be infected with HIV in disproportionate numbers. Needless to say, this is unacceptable and needs to be addressed immediately.” New York Assemblyman Felix Ortiz said, “With this report the Commission calls attention to the needs of many of our State’s most vulnerable populations. We must remember that HIV/AIDS does not discriminate, but Latino immigrants who don’t feel safe accessing health care and Latinas who don’t feel safe in their own homes need our support and understanding if we are ever going to reduce the spread of HIV.” “New York State needs to increase efforts in advertising syringe exchange and harm reduction programs in Spanish, in order to increase access to information among IDUs and to combat stigma in the community,” said Reverend Raquel Algarin, Executive Director of the Lower East Side Harm reduction Center. “If we can more openly discuss drug use and modes of transmission we can make it safer to talk about AIDS and syringe exchange. While we applaud the lifting of the federal ban on syringe exchange, we encourage our local leadership to invite syringe exchange program staff and other experts to help shape how money is distributed, particularly among communities of color." [1] Nguyen, T.Q., Gwynn, R.C., Kellerman, S.E., et al. (2008). Population prevalence of reported and unreported HIV and related behaviors among household adult population in New York City, 2004. AIDS, 22, 281-287. --- ABOUT THE LATINO COMMISSION ON AIDS The Latino Commission on AIDS (Commission) is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1990 dedicated to fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Latino/Hispanic communities. The Commission is the leading national Latino AIDS organization coordinating National Latino AIDS Awareness Day and other prevention and advocacy programs across the United States and its territories. For more information visit: www.latinoaids.org or www.nlaad.org. UNIDOS PODEMOS / UNITED WE CAN |
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