Alfredo, Boston
Alfredo works as the Program Coordinator for the Latin American Health Institute in Boston, one of the NHVREI's community-based partner organizations, addressing issues of gay men's health, specifically HIV vaccine research.
Alfredo explains his interest in HIV vaccines when he says, "Prevention should be more comprehensive and because of this, we should talk more about HIV vaccines."
Indeed, Alfredo lives by this motto, talking openly about his HIV status and the story of how he contracted HIV. He sees himself as a role model for his community because he feels that by telling his story, other people can identify with him - and this, he says, is how he is able to reach people.
Alfredo's work in this area started in 1993 when he was first diagnosed with HIV; with this news came a career change and a lifelong commitment to providing Latino men in the Boston area with what he never had-the knowledge of how to protect oneself from HIV and the personal connection with someone who cares enough to teach this information.
Prior to his diagnosis, Alfredo had worked as an architect in Mexico, but upon learning that he had HIV, he decided to make a career change in order to devote his life to providing HIV/AIDS education and prevention services to Latino men. It was at this same time that Alfredo realized that his HIV status was a direct result of his lack of access to accurate information and appropriate resources with which to protect himself. Wishing that there had been someone to reach out and help him when he was in college, Alfredo committed himself to providing these services to other Latino men in similar situations.
In Alfredo's work in HIV outreach to Latino men, he faces many challenges. The most difficult of these comes from deep within Latino culture, which Alfredo says must always be taken into account: "Family values are the first thing that we need to consider when we talk to anyone who is Latino." People's fear of stigma, rejection by family and friends, and God's punishment are still very influential forces and drive people's reluctance to identify themselves as gay and seek out necessary information and protection.
Another challenge he faces is the proliferation of misinformation in the Latino community. However, witnessing how quickly people can change their minds about HIV vaccines during a simple conversation helps keep him positive. He notices that simply providing people with correct information about vaccines helps them to understand what he is talking about and abandon their original perceptions of HIV vaccines.
Addressing these ingrained beliefs and norms is difficult, but Alfredo continues to push forward because he believes that education and prevention are the only things that will make a difference in the Latino community in the long run.
As to the approach he takes, he says, "The challenges are how to get to the person and deliver the message in a way that is respectful...that means that I need to consider culture differences... and see where the person is and meet them where they are and not push them." Alfredo speaks to people both in English and Spanish in order to make sure that his information is provided in a culturally relevant manner. He also always tries to have a positive attitude in order to be able to reach people and ultimately build trust with them.
"I love this field," says Alfredo-and his passion for his job is evident in the work he does every day. As a man whose life was interrupted by HIV and who chose a whole new path because if it, he remains positive about his ability to make a difference and provide other Latino men with the things he never had. HIV forever changed Alfredo's life, but now he is using his experience to change others' lives for the better.
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