Despite HIV and AIDS cases across the country seeing consistent dips for at least a decade, young gay and bisexual Latino men have not seen the same decline.

Latinos account for the largest share of new HIV diagnoses and infections among men who have sex with men — more than any other ethnic and racial demographic, according to an analysis from KFF News-Associated Press.

There are over 22,000 people living with HIV in Chicago and the city saw 700 new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

Juan Pablo Zapata, a research assistant professor and associate director of the Lab for Scalable Mental Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, studies sexual health, mental problems and traumatic stress responses among Latinx sexual and gender minority populations.

Zapata cites the proliferation of PrEP, a medicine used to reduce the risk of HIV, as a major point of progress in the overall reduction of HIV.

“With Latinos specifically, we see this incredible disparity even though they have access to it [PrEP], they know what it is,” said Zapata. “There’s still so many barriers in place that prevent them from using PrEP - even in cities as large as Chicago.” 

Pedro Alonso Serrano of the Chicago Queer Latine Collaborative is a colleague of Zapata’s, and he says that another major issue in the health care and medical world is the lack of cultural humility.

“What we find is that in the broader health workforce, we actually have fewer Latinos working in leadership roles in health systems,” said Serrano. “When we look at the number of Latino professors in public health, it’s fewer than 3 percent. Latinos are 18% of the population.”

The CQL Collaborative recently created a campaign called the “PrEPárate: PrEP For You & ME” to raise awareness on what HIV is and how to prevent it, emphasizing the importance of local campaigns.

Manuel Hernandez, the executive director of ALMA, says that HIV and AIDS needs to be looked at holistically since individuals who have contracted the infection are typically dealing with other compounding issues and circumstances such as homelessness, substance abuse or lack of health care access.

Hernandez also points to the culture of silence surrounding HIV in Latino families, especially those with queer family members. 

“Culturally, it’s still something we don’t talk about,” Hernandez explained. “HIV is still viewed as a death sentence, even though today, it’s entirely manageable. That stigma keeps people from getting tested or starting treatment early, which only fuels the rise in infections.”

ALMA is focused on developing creative ways to engage the Latine LGBTQ+ community, particularly young people — including helping new arrivals in Chicago who often face even greater barriers to health care and support due to language barriers and legal status.

Ricardo Jimenez, director of Public Health Initiatives for the Puerto Rico Cultural Center, has been fighting for queer rights for decades in Humboldt Park and throughout the city, aiming to dismantle the stigma and ostracization queer Latines feel.

He says sex education is a big benefactor in prevention for younger communities.

“In the Chicago Public Schools, the teaching of HIV and the circumstances around it and how to protect [against] it is not being taught,” Jimenez said. “So, we have a whole generation of young people who are not educated.”

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