Latinos living in the United States continue to be disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Here in Chicago, we are no different. There are many factors that can contribute to the explanation of why, with a 30-year history of prevention education efforts across the nation, Latinos continue to face such escalating rates of infection.

While it is true that many great strides in both prevention and treatment efforts have been made for and by Latinos, barriers continue to work against such efforts. Experts might place blame on cultural norms, while others argue economics and poverty. However, having worked in the HIV/AIDS field since 1994, I agree with my colleagues who believe the explanation falls way beyond these two issues.

It can, and has included issues ranging from the obvious language barriers, religion and acculturation to the not so obvious familial structure, immigration status and social norms around sexual behavior and orientation. Currently, there are approximately 21,000 people living with HIV and AIDS in Chicago. As of 2008 reports, Latinos represent 3,500 of those cases.

While such cultural norms that impact the issue of HIV/AIDS are as diverse as the Latino community itself, there are common underlying values, attitudes and beliefs that play a role throughout our overall community. Norms like “silencio sexual,” the unwillingness or inability to have healthy and constructive conversations around anything remotely related to one’s sex and sexuality, creates such a barrier to any type of HIV/AIDS/STI prevention efforts. That silence that has plagued our community for so long, acting as a host to other attitudes like “machismo” and “Marianismo,” the beliefs that men dominate and rule with an iron fist, making decisions for their families, while their female counterparts take on the role ...