Texas: Kaiser Health Disparities Report: A Weekly Look At Race, Ethnicity And Health

[Harold Schiffman]

Kaiser Health Disparities Report: A Weekly Look At Race, Ethnicity And Health

Public Health | Texas Hispanic HIV/AIDS Cases Increasing; Cultural
Language Barriers Affecting Outreach
[Aug 11, 2008]

      HIV is being detected in Texas Hispanics at later stages than in
other ethnic groups in the state, which increases their risk of
spreading the virus and delaying treatment, the Dallas Morning News
reports. There are more than 8,000 Hispanics living with AIDS in
Texas, which has the largest recent influx of new Hispanic immigrants
in the nation. Thirty-two percent of HIV-positive Hispanics in the
state are diagnosed with AIDS within 30 days after testing positive
for HIV, compared with 24% of both HIV-positive blacks and whites.
"This is a pretty significant difference," Sharon Melville, manager of
the Texas HIV/STD Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, said. "It's
troubling. They are getting into care late and not getting diagnosed
as early and we need to pay attention to that," she added.

According to the Morning News, there are a number of challenges in
addressing HIV/AIDS among Hispanics in the U.S., including language
barriers, limited access to health care, legal issues and cultural
differences. Guillermo Chacon, vice president of the Latino Commission
on AIDS, said a culture of silence, particularly among men who have
sex with men, coupled with the failure of government agencies to
address the issue, contributes to the growing number of cases among
the group. AIDS activists contend that a cultural emphasis on
masculinity and privacy double the stigma against MSM.

Chacon called for more bilingual outreach efforts and services for the
Hispanic community. His agency recently released policy
recommendations that seek to improve HIV/AIDS treatment access and
raise awareness (Meyers, Dallas Morning News, 8/8).

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=53889

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