Latino Communities in the U.S. and HIV/AIDS

A Research-based Tool For Identifying And Strengthening Culturally Competent And Evaluation-ready HIV/AIDS Prevention Programs

“…Much is written in the literature about the complex and often politically explosive relationship between race, culture and HIV risk (Bok & Morales, 2001;Hernandez & Smith, 1991;Rivara & Finberg, 2001;Zenilman, Shahmanesh, & Winter, 2001). Although many HIV/AIDS prevention programs are often targeted to racial populations, it is important to acknowledge that race is socially constructed and heavily influenced by underlying cultural and socioeconomic conditions, such as poverty, discrimination, and underemployment, many of which are associated with "high risk" behaviors.…”

“…For this reason, prevention efforts must be designed and implemented in a culturally competent manner, focusing on a multitude of factors affecting an individual's risk of infection, including sociocultural factors that influence behavior (Hernandez & Smith, 1991;Rivara & Finberg, 2001;and Zenilman et al, 2001). In fact, although the majority of the literature on cultural competence refers to the delivery of health care services, the recent literature on racial disparities in HIV/AIDS and effective HIV/AIDS prevention programs makes reference to the importance of cultural sensitivity, cultural relevance, and/or cultural competence in the delivery of prevention services and care (Auerbach & Coates, 2000;Bok & Morales, 2001;Cohen & Goode, 1999;Hernandez & Smith, 1991;McCormick et al, 2000;Rao & Svenkerud, 1998;Stevenson & White, 1994). Given the interplay between culture and behavior, many researchers (e.g., Davis, 1997) write about the relationship between cultural competence in program design and delivery, and better health outcomes.…”

“…Because culture shapes and influences the way people think about gender, sexuality, health, and illness (Campinha-Bacote, 1999;Ortiz-Torres, Serrano-Garcia, & Torres-Burgos, 2000;Woloshin, Bickell, Schwartz, & Gany, 1995), a program's ability to deliver services in a culturally competent manner has serious implications for access to and quality of prevention services and care (Bok & Morales, 2001;Brach & Fraser, 2000;Cohen & Goode, 1999;Coye & Alvarez, 1999;Davis, 1997;Fortier et al, 1999;Friedman, 1994;Goode, Sockalingam, Brown, & Jones, 2000;Ginzberg & Ostow 1991;King, Sims, & Osher 2000;Like et al, 1996;Perkins, 1998). For example, a practitioner's inability to communicate with and access the beliefs of clients/participants compromises his or her capacity to meet client needs.…”

“…For example, a practitioner's inability to communicate with and access the beliefs of clients/participants compromises his or her capacity to meet client needs. Many researchers argue that current prevention methods often fail to address the cultural and social contexts of their target populations (Bok & Morales, 2001;Diaz & Ayala, 2001;McCormick et al, 2000). Stevenson and White (1994) conducted a pilot study with 29 administrators and counselors from AIDS-related community-based organizations across the nation, asking the question: What are the top five hurdles to providing AIDS education in the African American, Hispanic, and Asian communities?…”