According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Although Hispanics/Latinos make up 18 percent of the U.S. population, they accounted for nearly 23 percent (252,400) of the estimated 1.1 million people with HIV in the United States in 2015. As in other racial and ethnic communities, the majority (nearly 60 percent) of Hispanics/Latinos now living with HIV are men who have sex with other men.”
Hispanics/Latinos are less likely to get tested for HIV because of different barriers and challenges that include fear, mistrust, stigma, discrimination and homophobia. In the United States, poverty, migration patterns, lower educational level, and language barriers may make it harder for some Hispanics/Latinos to get HIV testing and staying in care.
LULAC has partnered with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the Partnering and Communicating Together (PACT) to continue efforts in increase the number Hispanics/Latinos who get tested for HIV and bringing awareness to prevention, care and free local resources. In the PACT program year 4, LULAC was able to aid in administering over 1,798 free HIV tests. LULAC has also helped spread awareness through social media campaigns, blog posts, radio ads, and programming at different local and national organizations to increase facilitation of HIV testing.
