Supporting Our Local Hispanic/Latinx Population Living With HIV/AIDS

By Justin Toro, LMSW, Associate Director and Raffaele M. Bernardo, DO, FACP, AAHIVS, Montefiore AIDS Center

NEW YORK - National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) is October 15. Coordinated by the Latino Commission on AIDS, NLAAD is observed each year to increase awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the Hispanic/Latinx population in the United States. 

The NLAAD campaign promotes HIV testing, resources for HIV prevention, and provides information on access to care to Hispanic/Latinx communities who may be living with HIV across the nation.

According to the most recent US Census data, the Hispanic/Latinx community makes up over 50% of the population in the Bronx. This group is heavily impacted by HIV, with increasing rates of new infections despite an overall decrease among the general population. For example, of the estimated 34,800 new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2019, 21.7% were among Hispanic/Latinx individuals. While this group made up about 18% of the US population that year, Hispanic/Latinx people accounted for 25% of people living with HIV. These statistics highlight the urgency of connecting with the Latinx population and ensuring resources are available to support and care for individuals either at risk for or living with HIV. 

Despite a prominent representation among the Bronx community, Hispanic/Latinx individuals remain marginalized with limited access to quality healthcare including HIV treatment and prevention services. Healthcare disparities are reinforced by, among many other things, income inequality, unstable housing, and poor health literacy. Negative health outcomes are also often compounded by a healthcare system that can seem overwhelming and difficult to navigate. 

At the Oval Center at Montefiore, which is housed under Montefiore’s AIDS Center, we aim to provide multidisciplinary care under one roof. By offering medical, behavioral/mental health, and patient navigation services in the same location, we minimize fragmented medical care. The Oval Center services include HIV treatment and prevention, transgender care, including gender affirming hormone therapy, gynecology services for both ciswomen and transmen, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, social work services, and peer support. 

Our office is made up of a diverse staff, who reflect the populations we serve, and medical providers are welcoming, knowledgeable, and ready to address the concerns of the Hispanic/Latinx community. Many of us at the Oval Center are also members of the community with shared experiences, such as those living with HIV and those identifying as LGBTQIA+. Also under Montefiore’s AIDS Center is the Center for Positive Living, the largest HIV clinic in New York State serving more than 3,000 individuals living with HIV. Whether you are a person living with HIV, at risk for HIV, or sexually active, we encourage you to ask questions and seek the quality healthcare you deserve.

Montefiore has a longstanding commitment to providing care to those most impacted in the Bronx, especially those who identify as Hispanic/Latinx. At the Oval Center and the Center for Positive Living, we advocate for the Hispanic/Latinx community each day, but it is on NLAAD that we unite as a nation to raise HIV awareness and promote testing. 

With the availability of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U) which is also known as treatment as prevention (TasP), we, as a community, can work together to end the HIV epidemic. There are several resources available on NLAAD, and events are held throughout the country. You can visit: www.latinoaids.org or look up information on the CDC website for information in your area.