PACHA Co-Chair Discusses Uneven HIV Progress among Latino Gay Men

Summary: Vincent Guilamo-Ramos issues a call to action to address accelerating rates of HIV among young Latino gay and bisexual men.

In 2022, for the first time ever, Latino gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for more estimated new HIV infections than MSM of any other race or ethnicity, according to the latest HIV surveillance data published by CDC in May. This was one of the key points of a presentation by Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD, MPH, RN, Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Solutions and Professor at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, during the June 2024 meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). Dr. Guilamo-Ramos, who is also the co-chair of PACHA, discussed highlights of his presentation with Miguel Gomez, Director of HIV.gov. View their conversation below:

Dr. Guilamo-Ramos stressed that while there has been progress on ending the HIV epidemic in the U.S. overall, his analysis of HIV incidence trends among Latinos from 2010-2022 reveals some concerning trends that require focused attention. He noted that while the nation has seen a 19% decline in new HIV infections overall during that time, new HIV infections have increased 12% among Latinos, increased 24% among Latino MSM, and increased 95% among young Latino MSM ages 25-34. In his presentation to the Council, Dr. Guilamo-Ramos added that CDC estimates that in 2022 there were 8,300 new HIV infections among Latino MSM, 7,400 among Black/African American MSM, and 4,400 among White MSM.

The inequities illuminated by these data, Dr. Guilamo-Ramos observed, should be used by HIV community members at the local, state, and national levels as they consider how HIV prevention, testing, and treatment programs and resources can best be utilized to meet the needs of Latino populations, especially young Latino gay and bisexual men.