Open AccessLatinos' Community Involvement in HIV/AIDS: Organizational and Individual Perspectives on Volunteering
Author(s) -
Jesús Ramírez-Valles,
Amanda Uris Brown
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
aids education and prevention
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.309
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1943-2755
pISSN - 0899-9546
DOI - 10.1521/aeap.15.1.5.90.23606
Subject(s) - empowerment , apathy , homosexuality , stigma (botany) , community organization , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , medicine , psychology , gerontology , psychiatry , family medicine , public relations , political science , law , psychoanalysis , cognition
Community involvement (e.g., volunteerism, activism) in HIV/AIDS may be an effective prevention strategy. Through involvement in HIV/AIDS-related organizations, individuals may develop a positive sense of themselves, maintain HIV preventive behaviors, and create community change. In this paper we examine the types of activities, motives, consequences, and deterrents to community involvement among Latino gay men using both community organizations' and Latino gay men's perspectives. Data come from an exploratory study in Chicago. It included telephone interviews with HIV/AIDS organizations (N = 62) and in-depth interviews with Latino gay men (n = 6 volunteers; n = 7 no volunteers). We found that organizations have few Latino volunteers and that the deterrents to involvement are stigma of HIV/AIDS and homosexuality, racism, and apathy. Among the positive consequences, we found an increase in self-esteem, sense of empowerment, and safer sex behaviors.