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Latin@ Lives and the Next Generation of HIV Prevention: Policies, Politics and Research
by James Learned
Mon, 07/14/2008 - 2:49pm
On Wednesday July 9th, CHAMP held a community forum entitled Latin@ Lives and the Next Generation of HIV Prevention: Policies, Politics and Research. The forum was moderated by Gina Arias of Housing Works and featured four captivating panelists: Dennis deLeon of Latino Commission on AIDS, Johnny Guaylupo of Housing Works, Camila Gelpi-Acosta of National Development and Research Institutes (NDRI), and Joyce Rivera of St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction. Following the four presentations, the panelists fielded many challenging questions from the audience.
Latino/Hispanic HIV/AIDS Federal Policy Recommendations Dennis deLeon began his presentation by describing the HIV/AIDS crisis facing Latino/Hispanic communities. Latinos currently account for 19% of HIV cases in the U.S., but because Puerto Ricans are not included as U.S. Latinos, this percentage could be much greater. Additionally Latinos have a high likelihood of testing late meaning a large percentage develop AIDS within a year of testing positive for HIV. The second part of Dennis’ presentation included key recommendations from the 2008 National Latino/Hispanic HIV/AIDS Action Policy Agenda. This comprehensive list included points such as expanding the focus of HIV prevention from models of individual risk to models of community vulnerability and resiliency and increasing funding for HIV prevention and care in Latino communities. Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Recommendations Based on Experience as a Latino To begin his presentation Johnny Guaylupo described himself as “Latino” but acknowledged the difficulty in defining “Latino” specifically with respect to Puerto Ricans, who frequently describe themselves as Caribbean. This difficulty is evident in the CDC’s inaccurate count of Puerto Ricans. He also noted the lack of prevention in Spanish-speaking communities and the need to work in religious communities. He explained that every Latino, Hispanic, and Caribbean should be seen as at-risk. With respect to immigrants, Johnny expressed the need to work with Congress and the future president to repeal the U.S. ban on HIV positive immigrants to prevent discrimination based on status. Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Rural Injectors in Puerto Rico Camila Gelpi-Acosta began her presentation by discussing both the prevalence of injection drug-related HIV infection and the shortage of syringe exchange programs in rural Puerto Rico. Out of this desperate situation, the syringe exchange program, El Punto de la Montaña, was born. This program currently has two goals: to provide rural injectors in Puerto Rico with the tools needed for them to prevent HIV and viral hepatitis transmission, and to conduct research on the reasons behind programs not receiving additional funding. Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Policies, Politics, and Prevention As an introduction to her presentation, Joyce Rivera explained the St. Ann’s Corner model of harm reduction, and the benefits of using this model to understand the complexity of HIV transmission. Joyce described how substance use, mental disorders, and HIV/AIDS are all intertwined making prevention and treatment more complicated. Additionally, we must recognize the connection between poverty and HIV/AIDS. To conclude her presentation, Joyce indicated some of the successes achieved in prevention of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community as well as areas that still demand attention. After encouraging us to “Raise Our Voices for Justice,” Joyce offered a united mission statement: “We are a coalition of humanists mobilizing our communities to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. We are committed to addressing the injustices and disparities that fuel the spread of HIV/AIDS through the promotion of education, public policy, and corporate and social responsibility.” Get the Flash Player to see this player.
While each speaker presented a unique point of view, they all focused on the need to recognize the HIV crisis in Latin@ communities and to react using comprehensive prevention strategies. The July Forum was held at the LGBT Community Center, and other co-sponsors included Gay Men of African Descent, Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), Harlem United, HIV Law Project, Hombres Latinos de Ambiente (HOLA), Housing Works, Latino Commission on AIDS, New York AIDS Coalition (NYAC), and New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN). Thank you! Our Next Community Forum The next forum in our series, The Politics of HIV Prevention, will be held from 6:30-8:30 on September 10th at The LGBT Community Center. See you there! Reply |
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About the PJMThe PJM was initiated by Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP) in collaboration with ACT UP Philadelphia, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, the Center for HIV Law and Policy, the Georgia Prevention Justice Alliance, the Harm Reduction Coalition, the National Women and AIDS Collective, the New York State Black Gay Network, and SisterLove. SearchTagsAbstinence-only
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