Orocovis, Puerto Rico
Community Voice
October 15 is National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day, a day to raise awareness of the impact of HIV on Hispanic/Latino communities and to work together to stop HIV stigma and promote HIV testing, prevention, and treatment. Latinos/Hispanics have been disproportionately affected by HIV and underrepresented in ACTG clinical trials. As a member of the Latinx community, I strive to promote enrollment of our diverse groups in active protocols.
The Underrepresented Populations Committee (UPC) of the ACTG is very active in promoting and monitoring the participation of Latinx people in clinical research, including recommending strategies and overcoming challenges that might prevent their participation in HIV/AIDS research. One important aspect of that is the development of investigators from underrepresented populations. The UPC recognizes the social determinants of health that may affect the ability of Latinx individuals to participate and works closely with the global and local Community Advisory Boards to reach out to these populations in a culturally sensitive manner.
Beyond the marvelous work of the UPC, we need more Latinos/Latinas in leadership roles within the GCAB and the ACTG committees. In the local CABs you are doing an excellent job, but we want more of us to step in whenever there is a call for submitting statements of interest from community members. Don’t be shy, you will receive strong support from seasoned committee members. On this National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day, we encourage you to come on board; your Latino/Hispanic communities will be grateful for your representation.