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From The Dallas Morning NewsWed, July 23, 2008, 5A
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Nation
HIV/A1DS
Hispanics 22% of new cases
In major U.S. cities, 1 in 4 gay Hispanic men infected

SAN YSIDRO, Calif. — Though Hispanics comprise about 14 percent of the U.S. population, they represented 22 percent of new HIV and AIDS diagnoses tallied by federal officials in 2006.

Officials do not have a precise tally of HIV infections nationwide, because many states have not reported figures to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 22 percent, a figure that has not been previously released, includes 33 states and Puerto Rico, but not California, where more than 37 percent of the population is Hispanic.

So far, the toll of AIDS in the nation’s largest and fastest growing minority population has mostly been overshadowed by the epidemic among blacks and gay white men. Yet in major U.S. cities, as many as one in four gay Hispanic men has HIV, a rate on par with sub-Saharan Africa.
Language difficulties, cultural barriers and, in many cases, issues of legal status make the Hispanic community unique. For those who arrived illegally, fear of arrest and deportation presents a daunting obstacle to seeking diagnosis and treatment.

“Migrants tend to be lonely, separated from their family or partners,” said CDC epidemiologist Kenneth Dominguez. “They do not have health insurance. They may turn, to drugs or alcohol. All of these put a migrant at higher risk.”
Mauro Ruiz’s story fit that profile.

Growing up gay in Mexico, the 35-year old fled north of the border, as many do, in search of a better life. But Mr. Ruiz’s fantasy never quite materialized. Struggling with English, he made few friends.

Unleashed from the stigma that cloaks homosexuality in Mexico’s conservative, machismo culture, Mr. Ruiz sought refuge in San Diego’s gay bars and bathhouses. It was not long before he contracted HW. Like many Latinos, his disease had nearly reached full-blown AIDS before it was diagnosed.

“I was scared ... really, really afraid,” he said.

Mr. Ruiz’s arc from newly liberated migrant to fighting for his life typifies the experience of many gay Latinos, said Rafael Diaz, an AIDS expert at San Francisco State University.

The “triple oppressive experiences of poverty, racism and homophobia” lead many to risky behavior, Mr. Diaz said. “People are looking for respite and relief from a sense of isolation, economic deprivation and low self-esteem. Sometimes sex is the place where men find that.”

Ceci Connolly , The Washington Post