The fact that a number of CPGs lack adequate Latino representation can affect the development of a comprehensive plan and, in turn, the quantity and quality of HIV prevention programs in Latino communities. Given this premise, the question remains: What are the factors that limit Latino participation in HIV Prevention Community Planning?

With this question in mind, Latino staff of the CDC National Technical Assistance (TA) Providers’ Network facilitated sessions — “The Latino Experience in Community Planning” — during two national conferences and one regional meeting in 2001 (Community Planning Leadership Summit in Houston, TX; CDC Capacity Building for HIV Prevention in Atlanta, GA; and Enlaces: Skills Building for the Latino Community in El Paso, TX). Participants were asked:

What are the factors limiting Latino participation in HIV Prevention Community Planning?

What are some un-addressed barriers to gaining and sustaining Latino involvement in your CPG?

Latino staff documented the answers and synthesized them into barrier-related themes below. The following themes describing barriers encountered by Latinos in the HIV Prevention Community planning process appear in order of greatest to least number of comments provided by participants.

Social/Cultural

• Stigma associated with AIDS "rechazo" (rejection)
• Diversity among different Latino sub-populations
• AIDS impact on Latino communities not known within the community
• Interlinked issues of religion, fatalism, machismo, gender, and denial (“AIDS doesn’t happen to us!”)
• Limited educational background
• Cultural issues: stigma associated with being identified as gay, a man who has sex with men, or AIDS-infected and resulting reluctance to identify as one of these

Recruitment/Retention

• Lack of knowledge of CPG process and CPG members’ roles and responsibilities
• Lack of Involvement and participation of women and seasonal migrant workers
• Lack of inclusion of Latinos in HIV prevention plan (Latinos not a priority)
• Lack of information and orientation; the CPG process needs to be marketed to Latinos
• Inconsistency of CPG process, lack of knowledge of the goal of the CPG process
• Failure to address barriers to meeting attendance: needs and challenges of potential members (childcare, transportation, cost, multiple jobs, incentives, and meeting times); location of meetings, urban vs. rural (distance some members must travel to meeting)
• Lack of role models, especially peer role models

Self-efficacy/Skills

• Lack of orientation to community planning and skills building which results in the lack of sustaining Latino participation
• Lack of belief on the part of the CPG leadership in Latino participants' skills and abilities
• CPG leadership and Latino participants’ need to believe in the importance of participation
• Lack of mentoring and orientation for Latinos in the CPG process

Cultural Sensitivity/Cultural Competency

• Lack parity among Latino participants
• Generalizations of Latinos; lack of recognition and awareness of diversity (different backgrounds of Latin America, i.e. South and Central America and the Caribbean);
• Lack of awareness and recognition of Latino varying social distinctions by region and/or country
• Lack of sensitivity to Spanish-only speakers
• Lack of Spanish-language materials; not recognizing the difference between translation and interpretation; not producing materials that are culturally targeted to the local Latino groups (i.e., Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, etc.)

Trust

• Lack of trust in and negative experiences with health departments, governmental agencies, and AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs)
• CPG membership policies of disclosure and confidentiality fail to recognize the risk and stigma of Latino association with homosexuality, having AIDS, or non-documented immigration status

Conflict

• Victimization
• Competition among different racial/ethnic groups
• Contentiousness of the community planning process; lack of skills in resolving conflict appropriately; internal conflict among Latino community members
• Classism

Reactive/Proactive Orientation

• Crisis-orientation among some Latino CPG participants
• Fatalism
• Lack of access to and flow of information

Lack of Results & Outcomes

• “puro hablar sin acción” (all talk no action); lack of interest due to intangible results
• Perception that others focus on process to the detriment of results

Representation of Agencies, Not Community:

• Conflict of interest due to dual representation
• Perception of tokenism/lack of power; arbitrary assignment by community-based organizations (CBOs) or ASOs to the CPG

Marginalized Population Not Being Served:

• Lack of representation of migrant/seasonal farmworkers, injection drug users, people living with HIV/AIDS, and non-gay identified men who have sex with men

The challenges listed do not solely pertain to the Latino community. Moreover, while social and cultural factors exist in limiting participation, the community planning process itself requires regular maintenance to ensure inclusive and productive results. The next steps could include CPGs using this information to address Latino membership. More importantly, Latino members should understand both the challenges they face and the role they can play in achieving PIR in their CPGs.

Go to Addressing the Barriers and Challenges