Is the AIDS Epidemic Discriminating?

According to the latest statistics from the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), Latinos are more likely to develop full-blown AIDS within one year of their HIV diagnosis than anyother ethnic group. In Los Angeles County, approximately 72% of Latinos develop full-blown AIDS within a year of receiving their HIV diagnosis.

In light of these statistics, BIENESTAR, a Latino-based HIV/AIDS organization, California state Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez, state Senator Gilbert Cedillo and the California Latino Legislative Caucus are calling on elected officials to take action and address this crisis, BIENSTAR says.

"Although the AIDS virus itself does not discriminate, the numbers clearly demonstrate that race and ethnicity are playing a role in who ismost likely to develop full-blown AIDS," says Oscar De La O, president and CEO of BIENESTAR. "We are calling upon our elected officials to commit to solutions that specifically target Latinos and African-Americans. Failing to do so will perpetuate the adverse impacts of poverty, stigma, and inadequate healthcare access on Latinos and other underserved communities," adds De La O.

A CDC report revealed extremely high rates of late testing among Latinos. Late testing is defined as the development of AIDS within 12months after first being diagnosed with HIV. Late testing denies individuals of the benefits of new treatment advancements, including lifesaving medications, BIENSTAR says. Since late testers are likely to have been HIV positive without their knowledge for an unknown period of time, the likelihood that further transmission of the virus to other individuals occurred is significant.

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