Preventing HIV infection among young immigrant Latino men: results from focus groups using community-based...

Latinos in the United States have been disproportionately affected by the intersecting epidemics of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to problem identification and exploration, a total of 74 Latino men (mean age 22.3, range 18-37) residing in an urban city in northwest North Carolina participated in one of eight focus groups on sexual health. Among the findings of this study, >75% of participants reported Mexico as their country of origin; other participants reported being from Central and South American countries. Qualitative data analysis identified 13 themes, which were grouped into the following three domains: 1) psychosocial factors identified as influencing sexual risk health behaviors; 2) system-level barriers to sexual health; and 3) characteristics of potentially effective HIV prevention intervention approaches. The study findings suggest that community-based, male-centered interpersonal networks that provide individual and group education and skill-building and incorporate curanderos (Latino healers) and bilingual experts may be important elements of potentially effective intervention approaches to reach Latino men, who have been inaccessible to conventional HIV prevention programs.