Building Trust, Sharing Truth: Our Project to Stop New HIV Infections in Chicago’s Latine LGBTQ+ Community

Every year too many of our Latine LGBTQ+ friends, relatives, and neighbors receive an HIV diagnosis. In 2021, Latine people made up 29 percent of new HIV cases nationwide, even though we are only 19 percent of the U.S. population. Among those new cases, two‑thirds involved gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. These numbers tell a clear story: our community is being hit harder—and we deserve better.

Why the gap?

Research points to a persistent barrier: medical mistrust. Past experiences with racism, homophobia, transphobia, and immigration‑related fears have left many Latine sexual and gender minorities wary of doctors, clinics, and public‑health messages. False or confusing information about HIV prevention—especially about the daily pill known as PrEP—spreads quickly when trust is low, keeping people from the care that could protect them.

What we are doing

With longstanding partners across Chicago and Cook County—community leaders, health‑care providers, public‑health officials, and our own Chicago Queer Latine Collaborative (CQLC) advisory board—we are launching a three‑part project:

1. Listening first. Through interviews and surveys, we will hear directly from Latine LGBTQ+ individuals, health‑care providers, and social‑service staff about how mistrust and misinformation shape real‑world decisions around PrEP.

2. Tailoring a proven program. Using the CDC’s ADAPT‑ITT method, we will customize an evidence‑based HIV‑prevention program so it speaks to the lived experiences, language, and cultural values of our community—centering trust and truth‑telling.

3. Testing what works. A small‑scale pilot will let us fine‑tune the program’s delivery in community settings, gauge whether participants find it helpful and welcoming, and gather early signs of impact on PrEP awareness and uptake.
   
   

The goal

By replacing doubt with trustworthy information and culturally affirming care, we aim to boost PrEP use, prevent new HIV transmissions, and move Chicago closer to “Getting to Zero.” Just as important, we hope to create a model other cities can adopt—because every Latine LGBTQ+ person deserves both respect and the very best in HIV prevention.