District Fights Its Own AIDS Battle

Kaiser Family Foundation, Hispanics in the District have the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the country, about 109.2 per 100,000 people. The area's regional rate is much lower -- 27.2 in Maryland and 18.8 in Virginia -- but local health experts say it is rising there, too. "The epidemic is growing where our community is growing, in Northern Virginia and the Maryland suburbs," said Catalina Sol, director of AIDS/HIV programs at La Clínica. "Among Latinos, there is a cultural value that men must be strong. Having an illness is seen as a weakness, so men are much less likely to seek HIV testing and health services." The majority of AIDS cases at La Clínica involve men who have had sex with men, including young Latinos who meet on the Internet rather than in traditional settings such as bars. Although the clinic distributed... [read full story]