Jose was very closed-minded about HIV/AIDS.
He was raised in South America thinking the disease only attacked bad people who slept around.
In 2001, a year after he moved to the Chattanooga area to go to college, he decided to get tested for the first time.
“Just out of curiosity,” he said.
The test came back negative, but he took a retest every six months or a year. It didn’t matter that he had only one partner, he said, it was better to know.
In 2005, Jose’s worst nightmare became a reality — the test was positive.
He asked to be identified only by his middle name because he hasn’t told family, friends or co-workers about his condition and is afraid people might reject him if they find out.
Jose had always told himself he would commit suicide if he ever tested positive, but when it happened, he knew he didn’t want to die.
“I don’t know where I got the courage from, but I was hopeful about the situation,” said the 28-year-old, who has lived with the virus for five years and is active in encouraging others to get tested.
New cases of HIV infection among men and women of Latin decent are increasing at faster rates than among other ethnic groups, according to local and state officials. Although when compared to the total number, Hispanic cases are still only a small percentage.
NORTH GEORGIA HEALTH DISTRICT2008 Hispanic numbers* 20 cumulative HIV cases and 35 AIDS cases* 2 new HIV cases and five AIDS cases* Out of 181 HIV positive clients served in the Living Bridge Center, 25 are Hispanic.* Out of those 25, seven are female and 18 male.Numbers reflect persons from Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Murray and Whitfield counties who have sought treatment at the clinic.Source: Marie Dokery, HIV director for the North Georgia Health DistrictBY THE NUMBERS2009 worldwide numbers* 33.3 million: People living with HIV* 2.6 million: People newly infected with HIV* 1.8 million: AIDS deathsSource: World Health OrganizationFAST FACTS ABOUT HIV/AIDS* HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS.* You can get HIV/AIDS from having unprotected sex with a person who has HIV/AIDS, or sharing needles or syringes with someone who has HIV. A pregnant woman can pass HIV to her baby through blood or breast milk.* An HIV test is the only way to know for sure if you have the virus.* HIV tests are free and confidential. Health departments have interpreters for non-English speakers.* Abstinence, or not having sex, is the only certain way to prevent HIV/AIDS. Protect yourself by using latex condoms every time you have sex. Condoms are available for free at any HIV testing site.* There is no cure for HIV. There are medicines a doctor can prescribe that can slow the virus and lower the chances of spreading the virus to a fetus.Source: Tennessee Department of Health
About 14 of the 181 HIV-positive clients who visit the Living Bridge Center in Dalton, Ga., are Hispanics, said Marie Dockery, HIV director for the North Georgia Health District.
And the numbers are increasing, she said.
“Most of the Hispanics that are newly diagnosed are in their early to mid-20s,” she said. About half have AIDS, which means they had HIV for a while before they were diagnosed, she said.
In Hamilton County, out of 1,238 cumulative HIV/AIDS cases in 2008, there were only 34 Hispanic cases, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
But as with other data, Hispanics tend to be underrepresented, said Dockery. Many don’t get tested.
Minorities in general are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, said Jerry Evans, assistant executive director for Chattanooga CARES, the Council on AIDS Resources, Education and Support.
Close to 50 percent of all cumulative cases of HIV/AIDS in Hamilton County are among blacks, according to state data. Nationwide, in 2006, blacks accounted for nearly half of new infections, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
Several factors contribute to this disparity, including poverty, lack of awareness and the stigma surrounding HIV.
“[Sometimes] people are more worried about putting food on the table and taking care of their kids than their health,” Evans said,
And in Southern and Latin American cultures, HIV/AIDS is not something people grow up talking about, he added.
Jose said there’s still a lot of discrimination against people with the virus in many Latin American countries.
Local officials say more Hispanics need to be tested, but many fear going to the doctor or being diagnosed because they are in the country illegally.
Agencies in Chattanooga and Dalton have outreach initiatives, but success has been limited.
“We are trying to reach people at the community level,” Dockery said. “We feel [it] is more effective [by] word of mouth, people telling people.”
Chattanooga Cares and local health districts also have Spanish-speaking and culturally sensitive staff who go out into the community to educate and encourage people to get tested.
“A lot of people in the Hispanic community still think [HIV/AIDS] is a gay issue,” Jose said. “They still lack the awareness that it can affect any person of any race.”
He said the first thing many males say when asked if they’ve ever gotten tested is ‘I’m not gay,’ or ‘I haven’t been with prostitutes.’
“But you never know who your partner has been with and who that person has been with,” he said. “Even if you are married and you’ve never cheated on your spouse, you need to get tested.”