Building a Better Future for the Latiné Community: A Roundtable Discussion on HIV Advocacy and Support (TheBody)

October 8, 2024 - TheBody.
by Charles Sanchez

Part of HIV Resources for Latinx People

Image

It's no secret that HIV disproportionately affects Latiné people living in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 27% of all new HIV cases in the U.S. are in the Latiné population. Moreover, Latiné people who are diagnosed with HIV are less likely than white people to be linked to and retained in care, receive antiretroviral treatment, and achieve adequate viral suppression.

These heartbreaking statistics are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to issues that affect the Latiné community and HIV. Stigma, racism, homophobia and transphobia, religious influences, the culture of machismo, language barriers, and immigration heavily pile on the challenges that face our community. To address these issues, I invited six amazing, passionate, diverse advocates from across the country for an open conversation. They are:

• Arianna Lint, founder and CEO of Arianna's Center, South Florida and Puerto Rico
• Natalie Sanchez, M.P.H., director of the UCLA Family AIDS Network and member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), California
• Daniel G. Garza, HIV advocate, member of Positively Fearless, California
• David Munar, CEO of Equitas Health, Ohio
• Elias Diaz, LMFT, executive director of Eagle Pass SAFE, Eagle Pass City Council member, Texas
• Guillermo Chacón, president of the Latino Commission on AIDS, member of PACHA, New York

These dynamic advocates are dedicated, passionate people who have deep empathy for our community. In this discussion for Hispanic Heritage Month, they shared how they are working to provide awareness and care to Latiné people in their local communities and how this relates to greater national HIV challenges. Each member has their own agenda and point of view, yet there's a wonderful undercurrent throughout of respect and love, a feeling of family.

I'm so grateful to these fantastic advocates for making time for this important conversation.

Read this article on TheBody