Gerlinda Gallegos Somerville, MPH, CHES, Division of HIV /AIDS Prevention/Capacity Building Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/NCHSTP, 1600 Clifton Road, Mail Stop E-40, Atlanta, GA 30333, (404) 639-3807, gns9@cdc.gov, Charlene Doria-Ortiz, Center for Health Policy Development, Inc., 6905 Alamo Downs Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78238, and Samuel Taveras, MEd, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention/Capacity Building Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/NCHSTP, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mail Stop E-40, Atlanta, GA 30333.

In 2000, Hispanics represented 13% of the U.S. population, yet Hispanics accounted for 19% of the total number of new U.S. AIDS cases reported that year. Latino male adult/adolescents accounted for 18% of the cumulative AIDS cases and Latina female adult/adolescents accounted for 20% of AIDS cases, 54% due to heterosexual contact. In May 2002, US federal prisons reported 31.7% of the population as being Hispanic. AIDS case rates in prisons are six times higher than the overall US case rate.

Latina women are at risk for HIV infection due to the incarceration experience of their partners. Cultural norms, lack of knowledge and low self-esteem are barriers to protection for these women. Project CADENA has developed a framework for linking US public health and corrections systems with Latino serving organizations to address the HIV prevention needs, including transition services from incarceration to community, for inmates and their families.

Establishing collaboration between three distinct systems is challenging and time intensive. Involving governmental decision makers in the process resulted in real policy change. For example, parole office meeting space for HIV education was provided, and HIV prevention was integrated into youth detention programs.

Learning Objectives:

• List three factors that put Latinas at risk for HIV.
• Explain the framework for linking three systems to HIV risk for Latinas.
• Describe policy changes resulting from the linkages.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Incarceration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.