PACTo: Partnering With Institutions of Higher Education for HIV Prevention Among Latino Youth

Abstract

In 2019, the U.S. government introduced the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Initiative to achieve the goal of ending the epidemic by 2030. To accomplish EHE goals, public health efforts have focused on the needs of populations that experience a disproportionate HIV burden, such as Latino populations that represent over a third of those newly diagnosed with HIV. Partnering and Communicating Together (PACTo) is a federally funded health promotion initiative that addresses HIV inequities by building partnerships with and providing health education materials to institutions of higher education to promote sexual health and HIV awareness. From October 2021 to June 2025, we prioritized Latino youth and health care providers in jurisdictions with the highest HIV incidence in the United States, including Puerto Rico. As a result of the project’s implementation, over 9,000 Latino youth and health care providers have been engaged in HIV and sexual health promotion, thereby filling knowledge gaps and strengthening competencies for working with priority populations consistent with the EHE Initiative. Our approach successfully demonstrated the feasibility and efficacy of building networks to address HIV inequities in Latino populations by maximizing health promotion strategies. Partnerships with institutions of higher education are necessary to sustain efforts to end the HIV epidemic and advance health equity among young adults disproportionately affected by HIV. The current sociopolitical context also requires strengthening actions to advocate for the health and human rights of Latinos, migrants, sexual and gender minorities, and people affected by HIV.