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In the past decades, HIV infections are on the rise in Latin America and the Caribbean, however, Haiti, one of the countries hardest hit by the epidemic is witnessing falling infection rates. 2.2% about 190,000 Haitians are suffering from HIV/AIDS, according to UNAIDS. Infection rates are more slowly to decline in rural areas than in urban areas, but progress for battling the disease has been significant for a country with such high poverty levels. The percentage of pregnant women who have tested HIV positive has declined by half over the last ten years. The majority of the population, however, lacks proper sexual education. In countries where the prevalence rates are lower, the epidemic is concentrated among socially marginalized populations, such as gay males. Currently, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia and Mexico have the largest epidemic due partly to the fact that they have larger populations. Since Latin American and Caribbean nations are not a singular culture, attention to the HIV epidemic has not been homogeneous.

Many countries-Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, and Cuba-are considering it mandatory to teach sexual education in primary schools. Many believe that the exclusion of sexual education has impacted the number of cases of sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and teenage pregnancies. The goal is to bring awareness to these issues in hopes of decreasing the rates and to teach children how to make choices responsibly.

Almost all of Latin America is required to provide sexual education classes for their students, however, these laws are widely ignored. Many children do not receive the proper knowledge about sex until the age of 12 or 13, even though a study conducted in Cuba shows that this is the age children are becoming sexual active. Without the knowledge of the issues of sex it leads to an increase in sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and many abandoned babies. The article also states that children in Argentina do not receive sexual education at all because of the conservative sectors in the area. Many committees and groups are lobbying to help make sexual education more prevalent in students education.

This article discusses the role of sexual education and how it affects the prevention of STDs, unplanned pregnancies, sexual abuse, and HIV/AIDS. Many countries in Latin America have laws stating that sexual education must be taught at schools, however in many of these countries this is not happening. Studies have shown that because these children are not receiving sexual education there are higher rates of unplanned pregnancy, STDs, sexual assault, and earlier ages of engaging in dangerous sexual activities.

This article discusses the recent homicide of french filmmaker, Christian Poveda, who was killed by a gang/mara in El Salvador. Gang violence in El Salvador commits one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America. This article draws attention to the reasons why boys join gangs; which we can discuss in relation to men and violence in Latin America and the growing violence in El Salvador after its civil war.

In most of Latin America, abortions are a crime, but this does not decrease the amount of abortions that are performed. Criminalizing abortion has become increasingly dangerous, especially in an area where there is little sex education and women are kept from using contraception. Up to 5,000 women die each year and thousands are hospitalized.

In most of the region of Latin America abortions are a crime, but criminalizing abortion doesn't decrease abortion rates and only endangers the lives of women. The abortion rate is far higher than in Western Europe or the United States. In Columbia, abortions are illegal even if a woman's life is in jeopardy. There is little sex education and social taboos keep unmarried women from exploring the options of contraception. Up to 5,000 women die each year from abortions in Latin America, and thousands more are hospitalized. In Cuba, however, abortion is legal on request. Latin Americans are looking at abortion as an issue of maternal mortality.

This aritcle discusses women in Latin American and how their education effects their fertility rate. Generally, poorer women who lack education have more children than richer women who had the chance of education. This is evidentally true for other cultures, but particularly for women in Latin America because men are very dominant and if a child is to be educated it is more likely to be the boy instead of a girl. The aritcle gives details about the essential need for women to have education, not only to break social bias against class, but also to promote development of countries and reducing fertility rates.

In Venezuela's capital, Caracas, there has been a dramatic increase in violent crime over the past decade. There have been examples of crimes on the street where a teenager was shot dead in his wheelchair and men being hung to death by the attackers for his motorbike. Many people of Caracas have resorted to self defense classes due to the poor security and increasing crime rate in the city. These forms of self defense range from Indian wrestling, kick-boxing, karate, and martial arts. Although the rate of self defense is increasing, there doesn't seem to be any noticeable improvement in the security as of now.

This article details the controversy of crime and violence in Venezuela. It gives the example of kids playing video games. There is a possible new law in Venezuela that outlaws violent video games. Read for more info!

Venezuela hopes to outlaw violent video games in order to decrease the crime rate and discourage younger children from committing violent acts learned in video games. However, some argue that the outlawing of video games is an empty attempt and only proves the government's inability to control the country's crime rates.

The article highlights how President Funes of El Salvador decided to send 2,500 army troops to patrol the streets of the country in an effort to combat crime. The soldiers will patrol the streets of 19 municipalities that have the highest crime rates. El Salvador one of the three Central American countries that have the highest rates of non-political violence in the world. (Guatemala and Honduras are the other two countries)

This article discusses family planning laws being enforced in Guatemala and the Catholic churches response to it. Birth control methods would be available to the public and sexual education would be incorporated into schools. Even though the Catholic Church is fighting against the law, many are happy because it will decrease abortion, poverty, and maternal mortality rates. As we continue to read Fixing Men, we can look at reproductive health reformations in other Latin American countries and see how people respond to them.

This article-out of a feminist news group called Women's E-News-highlights widespread illegal abortion throughout Latin America, particularly in Chile and Peru. Although based around women, the article talks about the limits on access to contraception in Latin America, and the fears surrounding contraception circulating through the modern Latin American man.

This artical talks about abortions and where it is prohibited and allowed. It talks about women and how abortions in latin america are considered immoral and looked down upon, which in turn leads women to getting abortions illagaly.

In Latin America five thousand women die from underground abortions every year. The article explains that women who consider having an abortion could end up being convicted since it is illegal and shunned upon. Despite these legal risks Latin America continues to experience abortion rates that are much higher than the majority of countries where it is legal.

This article discussed the high rates of conversion to Evangelicalism in Latin America. The article also discusses how Evangelicalism/Pentecostalism has redefined Latin American communities. The communal worships and services have brought people of different classes, races, and ethnicities together. We can see here how Evangelicalism has not only changed people's behaviors and practices within the Latin American culture, but also how they interact with one another.

This is an article from the NY Times that discusses the controversy surrounding the Supreme Court of Argentina's decision to decriminalize the private consumption of illicit drugs.

In August, the Supreme Court of Argentina decriminalized the private use of illicit drugs. Such inquiries as to whether to accept drug use, help those who are addicted, or maintain the prohibition have arisen internationally at an increased rate recently. The Argentine administration felt that the war on drugs has not succeeded as predicted and it should focus on "treatment (more than) punishment."

In an effort to tie the three bookmarked articles together, this piece also discusses relevant material to Nelson's "Reckoning" alongside the movie, "When the Mountains Tremble". This article too discuses the idea and reality of Femicide or the genocide against women in Guatemala that still occurs to date. While the other readings set up an outline of what acts occur against women and the lack of influence police powers have, this article flashes numbers at the reader as a shock value to paint a picture of the immense number of women who have experienced brutality. While the other articles have mentioned the extent to which corruption influences the lack of punishment, this author seeks punishment in a different way. While doing research in Guatemala, he took victims who have been harmed themselves or have lost close ones to the war to the mountains to confront the militia men as a form of satisfaction or justice since the impunity rate is 97% in Guatemala. He explained that the gratitude of victims explaining their feelings to murderers would be far more reaching than formal punishment from the criminal justice system ever could be.

This page demonstrates a World Bank policy to keep the fertility rate down in developing countries. Surprisingly, there is little attention given to specific countries, rather the policy prescribed here is uniform and enforced equally.

This article contains statistics about AIDS/HIV in the world but particularly focuses on the people of Latin America because of the high rates of the disease in these areas. It talks about how Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are all countries where it is well known that men are having sex with other men, and this increases the spread of the disease. In countries like Bolivia and Peru in particular, the spread of the disease is linked to the vast amounts of unprotected sex and the use of intravenous drugs. The article also mentions that there are many misconceptions with AIDS/HIV in regards to how it is spread and through whom and by whom, and that many people are prejudiced into a certain way of thinking.

Mexico has always been recognized for its high crime and this article emphasizes the notion that despite increased security measures throughout the country, crime rates continue to flourish. In 2006, after numerous attacks of violence and gang crime, security measures were advanced. However, despite Felipe Calderon's fight to end the attacks, it is noted that currently, organized crime violence in Mexico is accountable for approximately 20 deaths per day.

The Mexican economy's dependence on the United States' economy is discussed in this article, along with a discussion of other financial sources of present-day Mexico. While Mexico's poverty is addressed in Fixing Men, one can see from reading this article that such poverty is by no means decreasing, but rather poverty rates are, in fact, increasing and will only continue to do so.

Univision is one of the leading news stations for all Latin America. It connects people all over the world to all the issues that are occuring in Latin AMerica especially for those who have migrated to the United States. It covers news from all spanish speaking countrys as well as the news that is occuring in the U.S.

Portal de Internet en espa�ol, con noticias, deportes, cine, novelas, hor�scopos, fotos y videos musicales, chismes de famosos, estaciones de radio y ringtones. Crea tu p�gina y comp�rtela con amigos y con tus artistas favoritos, opina en los foros y ent�rate de lo que pasa en tu comunidad latina

In Latin America five thousand women die from underground abortions every year. The article explains that women who consider having abortion could end up being convicted since it is illegal and shunned upon. Despite these legal risks Latin America continues to experience abortion rates that are much higher than the majority of countries where it is legal.

What u got from this atricle is that many people thing that because Latin America is mostley made up of 3rd world countries that the health care "south of the boarder" will be third rate as well. The argument made here is that it is quite the opposite of what the general public might think. This author made his argument by explaning it in four sub catigories: convenience, cost, competence and compassion, and lastly communication. Some of what was stated in the article were there are no appointments needed in mexico which is what we up here are not used to but that doesnt make it a bad thing. He lists some cost of things in mexico which would be very expensive anywhere else. The author is not telling everyone that health care there is better but its an alternative to what we do in America and it seems to work for them.