U.S. Immigrants Not Bringing HIV With Them: Study

New research in California found that the prevalence of HIV was similar -- less than 2 percent -- among US-born and foreign- born patients at Los Angeles-area public health clinics. The research team, led by Dr. Nina T. Harawa of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, studied the prevalence of HIV among more than 60,000 foreign- and US-born patients who visited STD clinics in one of seven Los Angeles County public health centers from January 1993 through December 1999.

Sixty-two percent of the patients studied were born in the United States; 38 percent were foreign-born. Of the foreign-born, almost 9 in 10 were from Mexico or Central America. The HIV-positive immigrants generally arrived in the United States at around age 21 and were diagnosed with HIV roughly 12 years after they had been in the country. The researchers speculate that most of the immigrants were infected after they entered the United States. Harawa and colleagues noted that the findings indicate the need to ensure that HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts reach US immigrant communities.

The study, "HIV Prevalence Among Foreign- and US-born Clients of Public STD Clinics," appeared in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health (2002;92:1958-1963). Harawa and her team reported that Mexico accounted for almost two-thirds of the foreign-born clinic visitors and nearly one-quarter of the total number of HIV-positive patients. HIV was most common among immigrants from the North Africa/Middle East region. It was least common among those from East Asia/Pacific Islands.

"HIV treatment and prevention efforts must be tailored for immigrant populations -- particularly those from Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean/West Indies, and the Middle East," Harawa said.

She explained that immigrants may be particularly vulnerable to HIV infection because of the economic instability and social isolation that can accompany migration and because often, they immigrate without their partners.

"Undocumented immigrants may delay treatment because they fear deportation or are not able to access healthcare," she added. The Department of Justice's Immigration and Naturalization Service currently denies visas or admission to the United States to persons found to be HIV-positive, although some exceptions are granted.

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