Aside from the individual pain homophobic attitudes inflict, the continuing stigma attached to same-sex relations pose a significant public health threat. Anti-gay bias and prejudice lead many Latino lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs) to forgo HIV prevention services, practice risky sex behaviors and even fail to discuss HIV and sex.

Indeed, various studies have shown that homophobia is a contributing factor to the spread of HIV/AIDS. The harmful effects of homophobia are especially pronounced in the Latino community, where sex between men is a leading method of HIV transmission.