HIV and AIDS epidemic was discovered in the United States in early 1960. It has affected many people since then but its risk has declined significantly over the years. The new diagnoses have been identified among the minority population in the United States (Hall et al., 2015). This paper will discuss HIV/AIDS as the chosen health concern and how culture affects health. The most affected population with HIV AND AIDS in the United States is the Latinos. Latinos are quite a diverse racial group in the United States. Evidence indicates that HIV and AIDS are increasingly becoming major threats in the Latino community. HIV/AIDS continues to affect Latinos disproportionately in the United States despite the major efforts put in place to prevent its spread. Culture plays a significant role in the overall health concern among the Latino community. Various cultural aspects including homophobia, traditional gender roles, and the widely shared idea among this community that it is embarrassing to discuss sexuality with children or with a partner have influenced the high rate of HIV/AIDS. These cultural attitudes about sex contribute to high-risk sexual activity that has made it difficult to prevent and combat HIV. The sexual behaviors that contribute to the transmission of HIV in Latinos include anal sex, lack of condom use, and multiple sexual partners ( Marquine et al., 2018). Sexual discomfort is a contributor to the increased risk of HIV/AIDS among Latinos. They perceive sexuality to be a deeply personal and private issue. Their culture forbids them from discussing sexual issues with their children and not even with their partners. A good woman according to Latino culture is not supposed to have knowledge regarding sex so it is considered wrong for her to talk about subjects like condoms and AIDS. Reports from the national survey indicate that approximately 44% of unmarried Latino adults stated be uncomfortable engaging in sexual activities with their partners with the lights on. 19% reported being uncomfortable talking about condoms with their sexual partners. Therefore, sexual discomfort and embarrassment are major contributors to the spread of HIV/AIDS because it leads to less frequent use of condoms. Homophobia is another powerful component embedded in Latino culture. According to the national survey, about 62% of unmarried Latino adults stated that homosexuality is not acceptable. Men who choose to be homosexual automatically lose their Latino identity. Homophobia contributes to a negative self-definition and denial of their sexual behavior among Latino gay men. This results in Latino men engaging in multiple sexual encounters and sexual activities under the influence of alcohol and drugs ( Khan, 2018). Therefore, Homophobia in Latino culture is associated with sexual discomfort that leads to reduced confidence in their capacity to make use of condoms. Traditional gender role beliefs require Latino men to be highly sexual beings. They feel that failure to have sex is considered unhealthy and thus a must. This aspect allows men to engage in sexual activities with multiple partners outside of marriage. According to a survey conducted in 10 states, 87% of the Latino men both married and unmarried agreed that men prefer to have sex with more women, while 51% disagreed ( Galeucia & Hirsch, 2016). Thus, these traditional sexual practices contribute significantly to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community.
Conclusion
Culture has a significant influence on the health of the population. The cultural issues including homophobia, traditional gender roles beliefs, and sexual discomfort have affected the spread of HIV/AIDS among Latinos. These cultural aspects have contributed to negative sexual behaviors and attitudes including lack of condom use, anal sex, and multiple sexual partners. Therefore, it is evident that culture has a significant impact on the health of the population.
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References
Galeucia, M., & Hirsch, J. S. (2016). State and local policies as a structural and modifiable determinant of HIV vulnerability among Latino migrants in the United States. American journal of public health , 106 (5), 800-807.
Hall, H. I., An, Q., Tang, T., Song, R., Chen, M., Green, T., & Kang, J. (2015). Prevalence of Diagnosed and Undiagnosed HIV Infection--United States, 2008-2012. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report , 64 (24), 657-662.
Khan, I. F. (2018). Provider-level considerations for treating HIV in Latinos living in the United States (Doctoral dissertation, Boston University).
Marquine, M. J., Heaton, A., Johnson, N., Rivera-Mindt, M., Cherner, M., Bloss, C., ... & Morgello, S. (2018). Differences in neurocognitive impairment Among HIV-infected latinos in the United States. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , 24 (2), 163-175.
