California: Hispanics in Monterey County Nearly Half of New AIDS Cases

Hispanics in Monterey County accounted for nearly half of all new AIDS cases since 1997, and they contracted HIV faster than any other group, the county Health Department's new 2002 HIV/AIDS report shows. With the exception of a 1 percent proportional increase among Asian and Pacific Islanders, Hispanics were the only ethnic group whose share of AIDS cases grew in the past decade -- increasing from 25 percent to 44 percent. In contrast, the proportion of white AIDS patients has dropped 20 percent, and the percentage of black patients dropped 1 percent. Lack of education and access to health care were among factors cited for the disease's spread in the Hispanic community. In addition, language barriers and concerns over immigration status often deter Hispanics from accessing care, local health officials said.

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