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The Problem of AIDS Prevention in Connecticut |
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Finally, in addition to scheduling intervention meetings for the African American community, the Bridgeport Department of Health should also implement a similar program for the Hispanic community, including legal and illegal immigrants. Although the two programs will contain many of the same elements, a separate series of sessions is needed to address both the increasing infection rates in the Hispanic population and the specific service gaps pertaining to this community.
Like in the black population, AIDS rates have been rising in the Hispanic populace throughout Connecticut. In fact, the rate of infection among Hispanics in Connecticut is 763, nearly twice the national average (481), and in Bridgeport the Hispanic rate for People Living with HIV/AIDS is 1154, compared to a USA average of 231 (23). While the first set of figures suggest a state-wide problem, the later numbers imply a definitive lack of effective prevention programs on the part of the Bridgeport Public Health Department. Indeed, in Connecticut, although there were 1018 Latino IDU living with AIDS, only $805 was spent per person, compared to the $2521 per person spent on white heterosexuals (2).
According to the Connecticut Comprehensive HIV Prevention Plan for 2005-2006, such gaps in medical care are the results of various service barriers, such as isolation, language difficulties, transportation, and culturally incompetent service (2). In fact, the plan directly calls for “cultural and language understanding,” “bilingual mental health services,” and “services for undocumented clients” (2). While these obstacles certainly present a challenge, they are not insurmountable. Indeed, by implementing culturally appropriate intervention sessions taught in Spanish, like those targeted at the African American community, many of these problems can be overcome.
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Table 3
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