New Report Calls for State-wide Effort to Address the Latino HIV/AIDS Crisis

Albany, New York, March 11, 2010 – Today, the Latino Commission on AIDS, the leading national Latino HIV/AIDS organization released a new report during Reunion Latina: Capacity Building Training Institute entitled New York State Responds to the Latino HIV/AIDS Crisis and Plans for Action along with strategies for a coordinated statewide campaign to mobilize community leaders, elected officials and Latino communities in response to AIDS and promote a call-to-action to prevent and reduce the further spread of HIV.

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 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 28, bilingual community consultations throughout the state, interviewing over 400 individuals to better understand how HIV/AIDS and other health challenges are currently affecting New York’s Latino communities, and developed 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 to developed more collaborations, partnership and a greater understanding of how to address the many health challenges faced by the Latino community during these difficult economic times,” stated 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 and to combat the homophobia and transphobia that deter Latinos and many other New Yorkers from talking openly about and getting tested for HIV,” said New York Senate Health Committee Chair Thomas K. Duane (D, WFP-Manhattan). “This report magnifies 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.”

New York Assemblyman Felix Ortiz stated, “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.”

[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


home \| contact \| subscribe \| employment & internships \| suggestion box \| disclaimer \| site map	Latino Commission on AIDS ©2010
CDC DISCLAIMER: This site contains HIV prevention messages that may not be appropriate for all audiences. If you are not seeking such information or may be offended by such materials, please exit this website. Since HIV infection is spread primarily through sexual practices or by sharing needles, prevention messages and programs may address these topics. Individuals who are mentioned or whose photographs appear on this site are not necessarily HIV positive or have AIDS. This site is not designed to provide medical care, if you are ill, please seek medical advice from a licensed practioner. HIV prevention materials funded by CDC must be approved by local program review panels, however, the materials may be considered controversial by some viewers. s m l