To the Editor,

World AIDS Day was recently commemorated worldwide in the fight against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) reported that by the year 2023, there would be 39.9 million people living with HIV worldwide, 53% of them women and girls.¹ In the Latin American region, the number of new HIV infections showed a 9% increase between 2010 and 2023. The HIV epidemic in this area disproportionately affects sexually and gender-diverse subpopulations (key populations), including men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender women, and sex workers.²

Thus, it should be noted that key populations do not include cisgender women (women who were born as girls and identify themselves as women) living with HIV because Latin America, compared to the African continent, does not have a large number of cases, except in Haiti, where women account for 60% of newly diagnosed HIV cases, the Dominican Republic 52%, and Suriname 50%. Other Latin American countries have less than 20% of new HIV cases in women, e.g. Chile 16%, Costa Rica 17%, and Mexico 15%.³

Although these figures may not seem alarming, they are because Latin America faces several problems:

1. In several countries of our continent there are no programs to reduce the elimination of vertical or perinatal transmission of HIV (from mother to child).
2. HIV screening of 100% of pregnant women is not available in all countries of our region.
3. Health inequities with a humanitarian crisis; two million people have fled the growing poverty and unrest in Central America, in addition to a lack of HIV prevention and detection in this population.
4. There are not enough HIV prevention measures for pregnant and lactating populations, transgender men, and people who identify as gender non-binary who may get pregnant.⁴

Therefore, the stigma that living with HIV is only for MSM should be broken, as women can also acquire it.

Despite the magnitude of this health problem, publications focused on this topic are not common in journals that are not specialized on HIV/AIDS, which favors the lack of recognition and ignorance on this issue.

Nevertheless, it is noteworthy to point out that in Mexico there are clinics specialized in the care of people living with HIV/AIDS and key populations free of charge at Clínica Especializada Condesa Cuauhtémoc and Clínica Especializada Condesa Iztapalapa, which belong to the health services of Mexico City. Institutions such as Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) and Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE) also have specialized areas for the care of people living with HIV, but there are not enough of them yet.

Accordingly, this letter is intended:

• to recall the commemoration date of the fight against HIV/AIDS,
• to see Latin America as a region that demands attention to this health problem,
• to recognize the need for more scientific reports on HIV/AIDS and the impact of this disease on global health, and
• to involve the healthcare personnel in prevention, detection and, above all, awareness-raising actions.

In other words, we need to offer a better quality of life, to take care of the individual and, consequently, of humanity. All health resources must be directed to their protection. Solidarity requires a compassionate and available attitude of mutual collaboration, mainly to protect the most vulnerable people.⁵