Garcia Abreu, AnabelaNoguer, IsabelCowgill, Karen2013-08-142013-08-1420030-8213-5364-0https://hdl.handle.net/10986/15070HIV/AIDS in Latin America falls within the framework of a low endemic setting. In the majority of the countries, the epidemic is still concentrated in high-risk populations: men who have sex with men (MSM), injecting drug users (IDUs), commercial sex workers (CSWs), prisoners, and people with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The exceptions are Honduras and southeastern Brazil, where the epidemic has reached the general population. Heterosexual sex is the primary mode of transmission in Central America, with sex between men predominating in South America, and injecting drug use playing a significant role in the Southern Cone. Survey respondents also identified other populations with increased vulnerability in which interventions would be crucial-young people and women. Although the number of men living with AIDS outweighs the number of women in all countries, the gender gap is closing, and in some countries, the effect of AIDS on rural communities is increasing rapidly. In low endemic settings, the main priority is the highest risk groups, and activities to address HIV/AIDS should be focused on (1) strengthening efforts to prevent new infections in these populations, and (2) providing care and support strategies, which in turn create incentives for early detection of infection and/or risky behavior. Epidemiological surveillance plays a key role in the control of the epidemic through the measurement of frequency, distribution, and evolution of HIV/AIDS among populations; identification of high-risk groups; and evaluation of the effectiveness of prevention efforts.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS TO SERVICESACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROMEADOLESCENTSAIDS CAREAIDS EPIDEMICAIDS INCIDENCEBIOLOGICAL MARKERSBLOOD DONORSBLOOD SAFETYBLOOD SUPPLYCASES OF AIDSCOMMERCIAL SEXCOMMERCIAL SEX WORKERCOMMERCIAL SEX WORKERSCOMMUNITY HEALTHCONDOMSDECISION MAKINGDISCRIMINATIONDRUG USERSEARLY DETECTIONEPIDEMICSEPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCEEPIDEMIOLOGYEXPENDITURESFIRST INTERCOURSEGENDERHEALTHHEALTH CAREHEALTH CARE SYSTEMSHEALTH FACILITIESHEALTH POLICYHEALTH SECTORHEALTH SERVICESHETEROSEXUAL SEXHIGH-RISKHIGH-RISK GROUPSHIGH-RISK POPULATIONSHIVHIV INFECTIONHIV INFECTIONSHIV PREVENTIONHIV TESTINGHIV TRANSMISSIONHOMOSEXUALITYHOSPITALSHUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUSHUMAN RIGHTSIMMUNE DEFICIENCYIMMUNE SYSTEMIMMUNITYIMMUNODEFICIENCYINJECTING DRUG USEINJECTING DRUG USERSINSURANCEINTEGRATIONINTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONSLABORATORIESMALNUTRITIONMASS MEDIAMATERNAL HEALTHMATERNAL MORTALITYMODE OF TRANSMISSIONMORTALITYMOTHER-TO-CHILDNEW INFECTIONSNGOSNONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONSNURSESNUTRITIONNUTRITIONPATIENTSPATIENTS PER MONTHPHYSICIANSPOLICY RESEARCHPREGNANT WOMENPREVENTION EFFORTSPREVENTION INTERVENTIONSPREVENTION OF MOTHERPREVENTION OF MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSIONPRISONSPROPHYLAXISPUBLIC HEALTHREPRODUCTIVE HEALTHRESPONSE TO AIDSRISK BEHAVIORSRISK GROUPSRISK POPULATIONSSAFETYSERVICE DELIVERYSEX WITH MENSEX WORKERSSEXUAL BEHAVIORSSEXUAL EDUCATIONSEXUAL ORIENTATIONSEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONSSOCIAL MOBILIZATIONSOCIAL SERVICESSOCIAL SUPPORTSTISSTRATEGIES FOR PREVENTIONSURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIESTRANSMISSIONTUBERCULOSISUNAIDSURBAN AREASVIOLENCEVIOLENCE AGAINST WOMENVIRAL LOADWORK ENVIRONMENTWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONYOUNG PEOPLE HIV AIDS INFECTIONSEPIDEMIC DISEASESAIDS DISEASEHIGH RISK SEXUAL BEHAVIORCOMMERCIAL SEX WORKERSSEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONSRURAL COMMUNITIESPREVENTIVE HIV AIDS VACCINESGOVERNANCE CAPACITYSOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL RESEARCHPOLITICAL PROBLEMSSOCIAL PROBLEMSHEALTH SERVICE MANAGEMENTSOCIAL SERVICES ACCESSNATIONAL CAPACITIESWorld Bank10.1596/0-8213-5364-0