Cultural Stigma & AIDS: Avoiding Discussion On Sexuality & Drug Use Causes Epidemic To Rage On.

Healthcare professionals, policy makers and other thought leaders will convene at the Holiday Inn Chicago-Mart Plaza on July 25th and 26th for the 2005 National Conference on Latinos and AIDS. Organized by Minority Health Care Communications, Inc. (MHCC), the 2005 National Conference on Latinos and AIDS highlights for healthcare professionals the alarmingly disproportionate AIDS epidemic among Latinos and urges them to educate their patients.

Conference organizer, K. Mary Hess, President and Founder of MHCC, urges professionals to commit to the cause. “Our goal with this year’s Conference is to re-invigorate the national discourse about HIV and its effects within the Latino community, and to re-commit ourselves to the struggle against the epidemic with all of our professionalism, passion, and dedication to an on-going battle.”

During the Conference, UNICEF Ambassador and honorary chairperson Erik Estrada will address attendees on behalf of the Latino community. His message is heartfelt: The battle against AIDS begins at home, so healthcare providers need to join the fight and help teach Latinos how to talk to their families about prevention. “As a Latino parent, it’s my duty to talk to my children about HIV and AIDS,” says Estrada. “I urge all Latino parents to do the same.”

According to Dennis DeLeon, President of the Latino Commission on AIDS, Latino parents want to educate their children about HIV, but are stifled by their cultural beliefs and a lack of knowledge about prevention. The traditional taboos about sex education and drug use are the biggest challenges in communicating AIDS messages in the Latino community.

“Because topics such as sexuality and drug use have been repressed, Latino parents don’t even know where to begin the discussion with their kids,” explains DeLeon. “That’s why media coverage on this topic becomes so important. If Latinos see these topics discussed in the news media, perhaps they can begin to become more comfortable discussing them at home.”

Addressing AIDS in the Latino community is imperative to the health of the entire nation. According to a June report from the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos are the fastest growing minority population in the country, making up one-seventh of all people in the United States. But Latinos are still disproportionately affected by AIDS. While they account for 14 percent of the U.S. population, Latinos make up 20 percent of AIDS cases. This disparity may be because Latinos continue to face challenges in accessing healthcare, prevention services, and treatment. Poverty, language, lack of health insurance, and cultural issues also are all critical factors.

Policy makers should take note. According to a study released on June 28 by the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research organization that looked at new census data as well as 2004 and 2002 election surveys, a Hispanic baby boom could significantly enhance the group’s political power. With more Latinos at the polls, policy makers will have to change the way they communicate and work. Conference organizers hope these changes will include AIDS prevention and treatment initiatives for Latinos.

“The National Conference on Latinos and AIDS is so important because it is singularly-focused on the issues and the concerns that surround Latinos,” says Hess. “Whether it is sociologic, cultural, economic, or even political, the Conference presents the entire picture of the unique shape of the HIV epidemic within this community.”

Topics for discussion will include: The epidemiology of HIV in the United States; the link between HIV and drug use in the Latino community; vaccine research; new directions in HIV/AIDS policy; the role of the church in HIV outreach and prevention initiatives; and strategies and challenges in HIV prevention for Latinos. Also, DeLeon will present a new report on Crystal Meth and the spread of AIDS among gay Latinos. During his talk, DeLeon will call for a national Latino strategy for preventing Crystal Meth abuse. Minority Health Care Communications, Inc. is a non-profit health education organization focused entirely on the creation and promotion of specialized healthcare education conferences, seminars, and workshops on HIV/AIDS and Cancer in the African American and Latino Communities.