POSITIVE ACTION FOR LATINX MEN
At ViiV Healthcare, we are committed to reducing stigma and improving access to care for Latinx gay, bisexual and trans men living with and affected by HIV.
HIV, AIDS and the fear and stigma that go with them directly impact more than 195,000 Hispanic/Latino men in the US and its territories, including Puerto Rico.1 While overall HIV diagnoses have decreased or plateaued in recent years, there have been trends of increasing diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men.2 One in five newly diagnosed Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men were diagnosed late with HIV concurrently.3 It is clear that the standard of care is not benefitting everyone equally.4
Since our inception more than a decade ago, ViiV Healthcare has been solely focused on HIV as part of our mission to ensure no person at risk of or living with HIV is left behind. As part of our commitment to support communities most affected by HIV, we have collected vital research and information through our Latinx Listening Initiative to inform activities, funding and programming that support Latinx gay, bisexual, queer and trans men. Our goal is to ensure that these communities receive care that reflects the diversity of their identities, challenges, desires, health settings and environments.
Positive Action for Latinx Men Seed Grants
In response to the urgency of the epidemic and direct community requests, ViiV Healthcare launched a series of Positive Action seed grants in 2018 to provide support to the community. Read more about Positive Action for Latinx Men’s successes, learnings and insights from the seed grant phase here in English or Spanish. Building on our Latinx Listening Initiative and lessons learned from these projects, Positive Action for Latinx Men is a community-giving initiative that supports Latinx gay, bisexual, queer and trans men focusing on:
- Building and elevating Latinx leadership in the HIV community, locally and nationally, to strengthen unity and mobilize the community to work collectively, lessening the impact that HIV has on men’s lives;
- Responding to the unique needs, identity and language of Latinx men and working with the community to promote HIV care that is diverse and responsive;
- Strengthening supportive networks for men to share their ambitions and concerns about reaching their health and wellness goals; elevating opportunities to educate around HIV; and connecting men, families, allies and communities; and
- Working to combat anti-immigrant sentiments and laws that have a powerfully negative effect on the health of Latinx men living with and affected by HIV.
Learn more about the new Positive Action for Latinx Men 2021-2024 grantee projects here in English and Spanish.
Here as I Am: A Listening Initiative with Latinx Gay and Bisexual Men Affected by HIV / Tal Como Soy: Una iniciativa para escuchar a hombres latinxs gay y bisexuales afectados por el VIH.
The foundation of this initiative is a direct result of an extensive listening tour conducted over the past two years, where we heard from more than 750 men living with and affected by HIV in 11 communities across the US and Puerto Rico. They shared firsthand experiences about what it means to achieve their health goals, where they go for support and what fuels their resilience.
In addition to serving as the foundation for our Positive Action for Latinx Men program, their insights, voices and recommendations for community-based responses are featured in Here as I Am: A Listening Initiative with Latinx Gay and Bisexual Men Affected by HIV / Tal Como Soy: Una iniciativa para escuchar a hombres latinxs gay y bisexuales afectados por el VIH. This report examines how social, political and economic forces affect the health and wellbeing of Latinx men, their ability to access care and the social networks that help fuel and sustain resiliency. To better tell the story behind the statistics, we also looked at men’s daily lives, what community and resiliency mean to them and what else can be learned from how they experience and overcome these forces.
Through this iterative, community-guided listening, we heard stories of how these men are building strength and resiliency and striving to create communities that support them. Listen to some of them below.
- Note: Some of the audio stories shared involve traumatic experiences and may be triggering.
For a snapshot of how we've listened and what we heard through our Latinx Listening Initiative, click here for English and here for Spanish.
Read the poem, Izo mi bandera, con orgullo / I Raise my Flag, with Pride, commissioned by ViiV Healthcare from Jacqueline Loweree of TCC Group, and inspired by Positive Action for Latinx Men and the findings from the Tal Como Soy / Here As I Am report. The poem was read by Louie Fonseca from The Gran Varones in the 2020 Here as I Am: A Poesía Slam event held in October to commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month. Click here to read the poem in Spanish and English.
In the News: Read what reporters and the community are saying about Positive Action for Latinx Men: An Initiative for Gay, Bisexual and Trans Men and Here As I Am/Tal Como Soy:
- Latinx Queer And Trans Men Face Many Barriers To HIV Care, New Report Finds–Forbes
- ICE Raids Are Stopping Latinx Queer And Trans Men From Getting HIV Care–Forbes
- Latinx, LGBTQ and HIV positive people: A triple discrimination that nobody talks about–Al Día
- Stigma is keeping LGBTQ+ Hispanic and Latino men from seeking HIV care: report–The Hill
- HIV in Latinx Communities–The Body
- Listen to Latino Gay and Bisexual Men Talk About HIV and Health–Tu Salud
- Hear From Latino Gay and Bisexual Men Affected by HIV–POZ
All questions and inquiries about Positive Action for Latinx Men should be directed to P.J. Moton-Poole at p.j.x.moton-poole@viivhealthcare.com.
References:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas. HIV Surveillance Report (updated). 2018, Vol. 31, page 102. Published May 2020. Accessed May 8, 2020
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas. HIV Surveillance Report (updated). 2018, Vol. 31, page 59. Published May 2020. Accessed May 8, 2020
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monitoring Selected HIV Prevention and Care Objectives using Surveillance Data, United States and 6 Dependent Areas, 2018. HIV Surveillance Report (updated). 2018, Vol. 25, pages 31. Published June 2020. Accessed June 3, 2020.
- MPact. National Call to Action: Addressing the HIV crisis among Latinx gay, bisexual men and other men who have sex with men. MPact Global Action website. Published 2019. Accessed March 2, 2020.; O’Neill Institute. Bolstering Latinx Gay and Bisexual Men to Promote Health and Reduce HIV Transmission
RELATED TOPICS
Through our Positive Action for Youth program, we are committed to supporting innovative solutions and nurturing mentorship programs to help young leaders close gaps in care for HIV, especially among young people.
Through Positive Action Community Grants (PACG), ViiV Healthcare supports community-led efforts to increase engagement in prevention and care, address stigma and build trust in HIV care among communities most disproportionately impacted by HIV. Organizations applying to PACG may request funding for General Operating Support, Special Events Sponsorships or Project Support.
Through our Positive Action for Women program, we are committed to breaking down isolation and stigma to improve access to networks of care for women of color living with and affected by HIV.
