Most insurance companies and Medicaid programs are covering at least part of that, and many local governments are also covering the pill for uninsured residents. Latinos are also more likely than non-Hispanic whites and blacks to get diagnosed later in the course of their illness, raising the risks to their health and the likelihood of transmission to others.Īt the same time, Latinos are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to be insured or have a regular doctor, although the Affordable Care Act has helped reduce that gap. They make up about 21 percent of new infections nationally, though they represent about 17 percent of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Latinos are disproportionately affected by HIV. Martinez says doctors and health workers need to focus on reaching young minority men at highest risk of getting HIV and transmitting it to others, including those who don't regularly use condoms. In an ongoing study of 20 Latino gay couples in New York City, 37 of the 40 people had never heard about PrEP when interviewed last year, says Omar Martinez, assistant professor of social work at the Temple University College of Public Health. Schnarrs, who is conducting a study with gay and bisexual Latino men in Texas, says 58 percent of those surveyed see themselves as good candidates for PrEP, compared with 82 percent of non-Hispanic whites, according to preliminary data. "Even for people who have heard about it, them reluctant to use, or hesitant to even inquire about, it," says Phillip Schnarrs, assistant professor of health promotion at the University of Texas at San Antonio and research director for the Austin PrEP Access Project. Many Latinos also have concerns about costs and side effects. Those barriers include a lack of knowledge about the drug, and the stigmas attached to sleeping with men and to perceived promiscuity. But health workers are encountering barriers among Latinos. The medication, which is used for "pre-exposure prophylaxis," or PrEP, was approved by the FDA in 2012 for HIV prevention and has been shown to be more than 90 percent effective when used correctly. AltaMed's efforts are being paid for by Gilead, the pharmaceutical company that makes Truvada. In California, New York, Texas and elsewhere, health workers are trying to get more high-risk Latino men to use the drug, Truvada. "It hasn't really hit the Latino community yet," Jesse Hinostroza, an HIV prevention specialist with AltaMed health clinics, says while sitting at a table with a bowl of condoms and a stack of bilingual pamphlets about the pill. Inside the bar and out, three health workers chat with customers, casually asking questions: Do you know about the HIV prevention pill? Would you consider taking it? A few men say they have never heard of it.
The drug can be over 90 percent effective at preventing spread of HIV.Īt the New Jalisco Bar in downtown Los Angeles, a drag show featuring dancers dressed in sequined leotards and feathered headdresses draws a crowd on a Friday night, most of them gay Latino men.
Miami Ave., Miami, FL 33130.įor more information, contact 305.577.9811 or Arevalo holds his Truvada pills at his home in Los Angeles. LED panels in diamond-shaped wood patterns frame the DJ booth, and the state-of-the art Dynacord Alpha System offers an unparalleled sound system that electrifies the dance floor.īlume Nightclub is located at 1421 S.
The nightclub features only the best in live music entertainment, from house to open format.įashioned by luxury architecture and design firm Linus Design, Blume’s captivating interior is embellished in tropical, floral motifs and layered with classic wooden trimmings to echo a formal Garden Room. At the center of the Blume’s dance floor is a grandiose 16-foot LED chandelier that adds glamour to an otherwise classic ambiance. Suspended from the high ceiling are a series of 50-foot-diameter concentric rings, a psychedelic, yet alluring display meant to resemble blooming flowers. Offering a modern and extensive nightlife experience by global hospitality company V&E Restaurant Group, the nightclub offers a fusion of high energy and chill atmospheres with its expansive indoor setting and idyllic outdoor terrace. Blume Nightclub is a high-end nightclub with a Garden Bar Terrace and is located in Miami’s bustling urban Brickell neighborhood.