Asians & Pacific Islanders (A&Pis) living with HIV disease in the U.S. face severe language and cultural barriers to accessing services. These barriers result in disproportionately high rates of delayed access to care and opportunistic infections. The BRIDGES Project utilizes formal linkages, provider cultural competence training, multilingual case management, and multilingual client escort and language interpretation services to reduce barriers to care. This study explored whether English-fluency and immigration status predicted service utilization and barriers encountered for medical, social, and mental health services among 98 HIV-seropositive A&PIs living with HIV disease. Analyses showed that immigration status did not significantly predict service utilization or barriers. However, English fluency did predict language barriers to medical and social services. This effect was sustained at 4-month follow-up for social services, but not for medical services. These findings suggest that: (1) the BRIDGES Project model might have helped clients overcome barriers to accessing medical care and social services, and that (2) components of the BRIDGES Project such as client escort, language interpretation, and case management services are necessary in helping non-English-fluent clients access social services, even after their life situation has stabilized, a point at which mainstream clients' cases might routinely be closed. See www.apicha.org
Learning Objectives: To learn how to tailor HIV/AIDS services to the needs of Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants living with HIV/AIDS. To understand the differences between English-fluent and English-non-fluent Asians and Pacific Islanders living with HIV/AIDS
Keywords: Asian and Pacific Islander, HIV Interventions
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Inc. (APICHA), New York City
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I am the deputy executive director of APICHA