In the United States, cultures from all around the world mingle and influence each other. Central America is one of our closest neighbors and Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the Unite States. As Hispanic and white women grow culturally closer together, there are still major differences between the two. In the past years, compared to Caucasian women, Hispanics reported higher numbers of children, less use of contraceptives, an increased number of sexual partners, and an increase in STD’S. As Hispanic women get more immersed into American culture, their ideas about traditional sex roles change.

Reports from the Center of AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) at the University of California, San Francisco had once indicated that Hispanic women in their lifetime had on the average less sexual partners than Caucasian women. Acculturation within the Hispanic women has produced a change. Acculturation is the process where exchange between immigrants and the American culture create modification in traditional attitudes and cultural behaviors. Caucasian women have more liberal attitudes toward sexuality and recieve more information about sex than Hispanic women do. As Hispanic women have become more immersed in modern American culture, their views on sexuality become closer to those of Caucasian women.

The number of children a woman has and the use of contraceptives play hand in hand. According to Fabio Saboga, PhD, associate professor and researcher for CAPS, Hispanic women tend to have more children, are more likely to not use contraception, and are less likely to have sex partners who use condoms than Caucasian women. He goes on to contribute this to “macho” attitudes among Hispanics where women may fear rejection or abuse if they insist on condom use. The lack of information and perception of discomfort, diminished sensation and embarrassment are also factors. The increase in condom use has grown faster among Hispanics than in Caucasians, but Caucasian are still twice as likely to use a condom as Hispanics. Contraceptive failure rates are also higher among Hispanics than among Caucasian women. White women average 2.8 lifetime pregnancies per women, compared to Hispanic women averaging 5.0 pregnancies per woman. Education and family income may affect the preferences of how many children to have compared to other goals. The status of the woman compared to her partner, her ability to afford and obtain healthcare, and access to understanding of health related information are also factors. Hispanics high fertility rate can be attributed to the desire to have larger families, the partner’s contraceptive attitudes, and lack of culturally appropriate family planning.

In the late 80’s and 90’s, AIDS was a big topic among white communities. Countless documentaries and sitcoms touched on this deadly outbreak. Now, in the year 2004, the media only speaks of AIDS in reference to third world countries. We have the perception that Magic Johnson is still alive and the epidemic in the United States has subsided. This is simply not true. Sexually transmitted infections are among the most common infections that occur in the United States today, yet most men and women dramatically underestimate the national occurrence of such infections and related it to their own personal risk of acquiring one. Women account for about half of all sexually transmitted infections that occur each year, and they suffer more frequent and severe long-term consequences than men. African-American and Hispanic women represent less than twenty five percent of all U.S. women, yet they account for more than seventy five percent of AIDS cases reported among women. According to CAPS, Hispanic women once had less reported STD’S than Caucasian women. Now, the incidence of heterosexually acquired AIDS has grown ten times higher among Hispanics than Caucasians. Hispanic women may be taking more sexual partners without the use of condoms their risk for acquiring an STD is high. One may attribute this to a lack of Hispanic acknowledgement in the media. In a news release on contraception and sexual health, the online research tool, National Statistics revealed that television programs remain the main source of information about AIDS/HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. With little to no Hispanics represented in the media, a gap is created that simple knowledge of STDS cannot pass.

Hispanic women and their families still remain distinctly different than white women and their families, but as cultures interact, it is inevitable that they become more similar. This has been most clearly seen in the changing sexual attitudes of Hispanic women and the rise of STD’S in their culture. Education is the key to Hispanic and Caucasian women growing beyond traditional sexist attitudes, and cultural standards, overcoming high contraceptive failure rates, increased sexual partners and STDS, thus allowing acculturation to become beneficial to both communities.

Works Cited

National Statistics. Contraception and Sexual Health, 2001. Series OS no.21.
www.statiscics.gov.uk/statbase/product.asp?vink=6988

Higbee, Rebecca. Presentation at the American Public Health Association meeting 6 PM (PST), TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1995
http://www.caps.ucsf.edu/hispnews.html

Planned Parenthood. Fact Sheet: Sexually Transmitted Infections
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/library/STI/STI_fact.html

Family Planning Perspectives Volume 30, No.1 Januaray/Febuary 1998
Piccinino, Linda J. and Mosher, William D. Trends in Contraceptive Use
http://www.agi-usa.org/pubs/journals/3000498.html