Sexual Health Disparity Among Hispanics

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As of the 2015 census, Hispanics make up the largest percentage of minority groups at 17.6% of the U.S. population, approximately 320 million people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). Although they make up a significant portion of the population of the United States, Hispanic population are disproportionately affected by high incidences of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and rates of HIV transmission (Bouris et al., 2010). For example, Hispanics comprise 18% of the people with HIV and account for 17% of new infections each year (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2016). When examining just the adolescent population alone, they comprise 19% of HIV cases in 2006 despite only comprising 17% of the national teen population (CDC 2014). Hispanics …show more content…
These issues include a high proportion of high school dropout and poverty, which share a complicated relationship with reproductive health. First, poverty is associated with increased rates of teen pregnancy (Finer & Henshaw, 2006). Secondly, teen pregnancies can disrupt an adolescent’s educational goals, ultimately leading to reduced earning and a child raised in poverty (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2010). Therefore, these findings are suggestive of a self-perpetuating cycle. Also because of poverty, the lack of income often means living in geographic areas of elevated HIV and STIs, which places them at a real risk compared to adolescents who live in other regions. (Steele, Mele ́ndez-Morales, Campoluci, DeLuca, & Dean, 2007). Even with a greater prevalence of STI, Hispanics tend not to receive health care; the Hispanic population has the lowest rate of insurance coverage (Steele et al., 2007). If they do receive healthcare, it is often with providers who do not speak Spanish and cannot provide a translator (Dailard, …show more content…
It is also distinct because the focus is on the parent-adolescent relationship, which has been implicated in affecting sexual health outcomes (Guilamo-Ramos et al., 2012). The parent-based intervention would entail educating both adolescent and parent about preventing STIs and teen pregnancy and facilitating a dialogue (Bouris et al., 2010). The one study involving clinic-based parent intervention is specific to the Hispanic population of the poorest borough of New York, the Bronx - which is also disproportionately affected by high rates of HIV, STI, and teen pregnancy (Bouris et al., 2010). This population is ideal for further research since many of the socioeconomic factors apply to other Hispanic populations in the US. However, this one study is qualitative, and there is no causal inference that parents in a clinic intervention can decrease poor reproductive health outcomes (Bouris et al.,

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