A Youth Leader's Guide to Building Cultural Competence 

Most of the others are members of Protestant denominations and some follow traditional religions of 

 espiritismo  and  santerismo  as well. 

There are several ways in which religious beliefs have an impact on HIV/AIDS prevention education. 

First, in almost all religions, homosexuality is seen as immoral, unnatural, sinful and evil. The amount of 

guilt and shame that many religions create for lesbian, gay and bisexual people is enormous. Religious 

intolerance is part of what makes it difficult for many lesbian, gay and bisexual people to be honest with 

themselves and their families about their sexual orientation. Safer sex demands open and honest 

communication with sexual partners; this can be difficult for lesbian, gay and bisexual people who feel 

guilt.  

Second, the belief that AIDS is punishment from God for immoral behavior is not uncommon. In a small 

study of African American women from an urban area, two thirds believed that AIDS is a fulfillment of 

prophesy regarding plagues from the Book of Revelations.

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 A study of Latino attitudes about HIV/AIDS 

revealed that their deeply held religious views lead to the belief that AIDS is God's punishment for 

younger Latinos' corruption by modern U.S. culture. This belief was found to be most common with the 

older generation of Latinos/Latinas who were raised outside the U.S.

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Third, the Catholic ban on any contraceptive use, even among married couples, makes it difficult to 

convince religious Catholic Latinos and Latinas to use condoms. Fourth, for Latinos/Latinas in particular, 

fatalism is a significant barrier to HIV/AIDS prevention. Fatalism is the belief that life is pre determined 

and that individuals are powerless to change what happens to them. Those familiar with Latino/Latina 

culture note that fatalism results from both the tremendous influence of religion and the reality of poverty 

and that it makes arguments for safer sex difficult.

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Gender Role Expectations  

Gender role expectations refer to what is considered to be appropriate and acceptable behavior for men 

and women. African Americans and Latinos/Latinas are no different from all other groups in the U.S. in 

having at least some rigid views about what is okay for men to do and what is okay for women to do. Nor 

are they immune from mass media messages that tell men to be strong, silent and powerful and women to 

be pretty, emotional and passive.  

Some of the commonly gender role expectations held by African Americans and Latinos/Latinas, 

however, are significant for HIV/AIDS prevention work.  

The terms macho and machismo are often used when talking about Latino men. The terms have a negative 

connotation when used by many Americans. The fact that the direct translation of the word machismo is 

simply  male pride  has been lost in the application of the word to describe men of any ethnicity who are 

particularly chauvinist.

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A more accurate definition of the term, as understood by Latinos/Latinas, includes men being in control 

their own lives, providing for and protecting their families, not just being served by women and being 

skilled, desirable lovers who must  have  many women. The macho ethic provides a major obstacle to 

condom use.  Condom use is perceived by many to be `unmanly' and as an obstacle to intimacy and 

control of sexual relations. 

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Machismo also plays a role in homosexual behavior of Latino men. The cultural pressure to marry and 

have children is enormous; gay Latinos often do get married, in order to conform to their culture. They