HIV/AIDS and farmworkers

Health & Safety - HIV/AIDS and farmworkers

Farmworker Justice has been providing HIV/AIDS prevention efforts aimed at migrant workers and their families since 1998.

HIV/AIDS is a serious concern for farmworker communities due to their limited access to health care. In comparison to other Latino groups and the U.S. population as a whole, migrant workers are at increased risk for this disease. Few farmworkers have employer-provided or government-subsidized health insurance. Also, language barriers, illiteracy and the difficulties of a highly-mobile lifestyle conspire to impede migrants' access to HIV prevention information and services.

Farmworker Justice's work on HIV Prevention is centered around three areas:

  • HIV Prevention Programs --Helping organizations set up and implement specific HIV prevention programs such as POL and promotores de salud.
  • Technical Assistance with HIV Programs --Helping community organizations and health care providers improve and adapt HIV prevention programs.
  • Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative- Helping non-HIV oriented organizations become engaged with HIV prevention work and messaging.

Check out our new rural health initiative Poder Sano for resources, links to other organizations working on HIV prevention and the latest on trainings and other events.

 

Notice Required by U.S. Government

This site contains HIV prevention messages that may not be appropriate for all audiences. Since HIV infection is spread primarily through sexual practices or by sharing needles, prevention messages and programs may address these topics. If you are not seeking such information or may be offended by such materials, please exit this portion of the website.

   

HIV Prevention Programs

Health & Safety - HIV/AIDS and farmworkers

Farmworker Justice trains community organizations in a variety of HIV prevention programs such as POL (Popular Opinion Leader), PROMISE, RAPP, Mpowerment,  Promotores de Salud and Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative. Below are brief descriptions of each of these programs.

POL (Popular Opinion Leader)

  • Evidence-based and proven effective by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
  • Highly adaptable
  • Utilizes existing influential members of a target community to endorse safer behaviors to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS
  • Farmworker Justice staff are national master trainers
  • Farmworker Justice offers a one-day adaptation training specific to Latino populations

 

Read more: HIV Prevention Programs

   

Technical Assistance for HIV Prevention Programs

Health & Safety - HIV/AIDS and farmworkers

Farmworker Justice is a national capacity building assistance (CBA) provider.   We help community organizations, health departments, migrant clinics, and health care centers improve their HIV prevention programs and more effectively target migrant and rural immigrant populations.

Many HIV prevention and care programs do not adequately address cultural issues or socioeconomic conditions of farmworker and migrant worker communities. Farmworker Justice can help.  We:

  • Assist with adaptation of general and CDC-sponsored HIV programs (also known as DEBIs) to farmworker and migrant worker populations
  • Build coalitions between groups of promotores de salud (lay health educators) and local service providers
  • Provide trainings on HIV/STIs
  • Train community groups, clinics and health departments on official CDC HIV prevention programs
  • Provide trainings and/or assistance to organizations on facilitation skills, focus groups, survey design, community assessment, and numerous other topics.

 


   

Why is HIV/AIDS a concern for farmworkers?

Health & Safety - HIV/AIDS and farmworkers

Farmworkers have limited access to health care and as a result, in comparison to other Latino groups and the U.S. population as a whole, migrant workers are at increased risk for HIV/AIDS.

Few farmworkers have employer-provided or government-subsidized health insurance. Also, language barriers, illiteracy and the difficulties of a highly-mobile lifestyle conspire to impede migrants' access to HIV prevention information and services.

Since 1997, we at Farmworker Justice have been working to bridge the gap between these services and the farmworker community. We offer a variety of culturally and linguistically appropriate programs that range from promotores projects to capacity building assistance. The goal of our HIV/AIDS division is to improve the access to and quality of HIV prevention services available to the farmworker community.

Farmworkers have traditionally been left out of many HIV/AIDS prevention efforts and are considered an under-served population; Farmworker Justice is working hard to change this.