Qualitative Assessment of HIV Prevention Challenges and Opportunities Among Latino Immigrant Men in a New Receiving City

Abstract

Changing demographics in new receiving communities contributes to a lag time between the arrival of new immigrants and the development of appropriate services. This scarcity of services can exacerbate existing disparities in health conditions such as HIV, which disproportionately affects Latinos. Focus groups were conducted in Baltimore with 59 Latino men who had immigrated to the U.S. within the past 10years to explore the challenges and opportunities to accessing HIV testing and preventative services. Transcripts were analyzed through a modified thematic constant comparison approach. Four thematic categories emerged: information about HIV, HIV fear and stigma, barriers to accessing healthcare, and opportunities for intervention approaches. Information and communication technology provides an opportunity to improve access to HIV testing and prevention services. Individualized interventions, though, must be disseminated in collaboration with community-, structural-, and policy-level interventions that address HIV risk, HIV/AIDS stigma, and healthcare access among Latino immigrants.