Researchers to begin study aimed at helping Latino HI...(higher among Latinos than among non-Lati...),Health

Part of this may be explained in cultural differences between the Latinos migrating to rural southern states, such as North Carolina, and those who end up in the large metropolitan areas of New York, Texas and Florida, Rhodes said. Traditionally, Latinos migrating to the big cities come from Mexico City and Northern Mexico, whereas the Latinos moving to more rural states tend to come from Southern Mexico and Central America. There may be differences in the amount of education and poverty between the two areas, Rhodes said. Cultural factors such as a familiarity with home remedies and alternative healing may also have an impact on the attitudes about medicine within the Latino community, he added.

"Latinos generally do not go to the doctor to get tested to see if they are infected with HIV until they are very, very sick," Rhodes said. "And, once diagnosed, they don't take their medicine as prescribed, even when they have access to life-extending medicines."

"There are a number of different things that are affecting the attitudes and opinions toward medicine of the Latino community. This study will give us a sense of all the variables that are affecting the trust or mistrust of medicine."

Rhodes said that he and co-investigator Aimee Wilkin, M.D., also of Wake Forest Baptist, hope to begin enrolling patients in the study this month. Over the course of the multi-year study, they plan to interview about 200 Latino Triad patients living with HIV or engaging in high-risk behavior, such as having sexual relations with multiple partners or not using condoms.

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