HIV Prevention in the Hispanic Community: Sex, Culture, and Empowerment

To address the serious HIV epidemic in the Hispanic community in the United States, the underlying causes of the epidemic must be addressed. Marginalization, including homophobia, poverty, and racism, as well as cultural factors such as machismo and sexual silence disempower people, making HIV prevention difficult. This article reviews evidence for the impact of marginalization and cultural factors on HIV risk and proposes a cycle of disempowerment. Three examples of empowerment interventions developed specifically for Hispanics (targeting heterosexuals, women, and gay men) are presented, and how these interventions address disempowerment is discussed. One intervention is used to illustrate principles of developing culturally appropriate interventions.