This is not the first time that I am going to broach a sensitive subject on this blog and it certainly won’t be the last. If talking about something that makes us all uncomfortable can help to save your life, or the life of one of your loved ones, I will not hesitate to bring it up here.
If we keep putting off having these difficult conversations, the CDC estimates that 1 in 36 Latino men and 1 in 106 Latina women will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. Those grim statistics are simply unacceptable during these modern times when information is so easily and quickly disseminated.
The problem is that we still consider it taboo to talk about sex, sexual health and HIV and, unfortunately, this is especially true in the Latino community. Studies have shown rising HIV infections among youth between the ages of 13-24. Youth between the ages of 13-24 now account for 26% of all new HIV infections in the United States and 50% of them don’t know they have it.
There are many reasons why a disproportionate amount of Latinos are being affected by HIV and AIDS more than any other ethnic group. A lot of it has to do with the preconceived roles having to do with gender and sexuality that Latinos are taught from an early age. I can still remember Mami putting on Spanish music every Sunday and getting my sister and I up to help her clean the house. Of course, we would always ask why my brother didn’t have to help clean, to which Mami replied, “He’s a boy, boys don’t have to do housework.”
This notion that men in the Latino community are supposed to be virile and macho while women are supposed to be pure and domesticated is a huge part of the reason why we are not having enough conversations about the importance of not having unprotected sex. As a middle school educator I cannot stress enough the importance of having these conversations because anyone can get HIV regardless of their age, gender, or sexual orientation.
Our own family has been impacted by HIV on my husband’s side and my side. We started the conversation when our cousins became HIV positive and we realized that, we couldn’t live in denial about this issue any longer. Talking about HIV is not easy but every conversation we have about HIV can help reduce stigma and misconceptions surrounding it. Together, all of our conversations can help protect the health of our community and reduce the spread of HIV among Hispanics/Latinos.
One Conversation at a Time is a call to action for the Latino community to talk openly about HIV and AIDS, to increase awareness, and decrease HIV-associated stigma and shame, which may prevent people from talking about HIV and AIDS . The campaign was developed as part of CDC’s national effort to raise awareness about HIV and reduce new HIV infections among Hispanics/Latinos in the United States .
We all have a role to play. We can stop HIV one conversation at a time. Together, all of our conversations can help protect the health of our community and reduce the spread of HIV. Join us in stopping HIV One Conversation at a Time.
Get the facts and tips at www.cdc.gov/OneConversation and keep the conversation going on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #OneConversation or #UnaConversación.
Let’s Discuss-How do plan on having these important conversations with your own children?
Disclosure: This sponsored post is made possible by support from the We Can Stop HIV One Conversation at a Time campaign. All opinions are my own. I only recommend products or services I use personally and I believe will be “family friendly.” I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
© 2015, Tough Cookie Mommy. All rights reserved.
I think it is so important to remove the taboo and be open and honest with one another. I want my children to be safe and educated, and I want them to learn from my husband and me versus their peers who may give them incorrect information.
God, I don’t know. I can barely talk to them about sex let alone serious diseases like HIV. I am going to have to figure out a way, though.
It’s great that you’re putting this out there to raise awareness. We need to have the difficult conversations about all subjects.
Such an important topic to tackle with all kids! An uncomfortable conversation is much better than not being educated and then contracting the disease because of it!
The statistics are staggering and getting the information out is so important. I hope more families are discussing HIV. Our son is SO young, but I know we won’t try to hide any of the “big” conversations from him as he gets older. It’s always better to be educated.
What a great post and thank you for bring awareness to a difficult subject. When my son was younger he heard something on TV about HIV and asked about it. My husband sat down and talked with him.
This is such an important topic. Thanks for posting this reminder.
This is so true and it makes me sad that only a few people know that they have it. Hope this post raises awareness.
You are correct in that this certainly is a tricky conversation to have with growing children.
However, your article does a great job of providing the guidance and reference to do so.
It is so true, we just don’t talk about certain things enough. Thank you for talking about such an important issue and raising awareness.
Our school does a great job with this subject, but we have had the conversation with our kids already. Wasn’t easy, but necessary.
My girls are 8 and 10 and I am so open with them about these topics. They may not 100% understand but they at least have it in their minds to better understand when we talk again.
This is a great and much needed article. My husband and I started talking to our kids about sex at an early age. We want them to know what they are facing. Parents definitely need to start the talk about sex as soon as possible.
This is definitely important issue to raise awareness about. It’s a really good idea to get tested.
What scary statistics! I love that you’re sharing this info!
Topics like these can bring up uncomfortable moments between parents and their children. However, we should not afford to shrug it off. Children, as well as parents need to know about HIV and how we can protect ourselves from contracting it. Thanks for the information. I’ll let friends and family know about this post too.
This is an important topic that should be talked about a lot more than it is. The statistics are seriously sad for this, and I am pretty open with all my kids about all these types of topics. I think it’s important to be and educate.
Information is key to keeping our kids safe, so the earlier you talk with them, the better. We started our conversations early, and while it can be uncomfortable, it’s better to arm them with knowledge then shy away to avoid feeling awkward!
I have always been very open with my kids when it comes to talking about sex and everything that goes along with it. I think it is important to have an open policy when it comes to talking about things.
My kids know they can talk to me about anything. We have had many conversations about sex and STI’s. It is so important to educate your children about birth control and how to protect themselves from disease.
My kids and I talk about everything, I find that sometimes if they feel uncomfortable talking to them while we are playing a game so they don’t make eye contact is best. I normally want full eye contact but sometimes it’s easier and they know they can just talk to me about anything. Hopefully they do when they get older
Wow that is a scary statistic. It’s so important to have the conversation.
We all need to be honest about risks for sure.
Im pretty sure that I my kids can tell me anything. This is an important topic to talk about for sure.
Uncomfortable conversations need to be done, especially when it comes to education. Being informed is key to prevention!
It’s amazing that many folks don’t realize that HIV us still with us and is a growing concern in some communities. This is a timely topic and a conversation all parents must have.