Fact Sheet: HIV/AIDS Among Various GroupsDecember 1, 1998 The HIV/AIDS pandemic has become a public health threat in communities throughout the United States. While the discovery of antiretroviral combination drug therapies, or "drug cocktails," directly resulted in the first overall decrease in both AIDS cases and AIDS-
Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, there have been specific communities and population groups throughout the United States that have been and continue to be disproportionately infected with and affected by HIV, who account for the large majority of U.S. AIDS cases and who are more likely to die from an AIDS- Racial and ethnic minority groups, particularly African Americans and Latinos, women, and men who have sex with men (MSM) represent the population groups in the United States that are at the highest risk of becoming infected with HIV. This remains true despite the fact that more is known now about HIV prevention than in past years and antiretroviral drugs, which significantly increase the time lapse between HIV infection and AIDS development, have been discovered. So why does the paradox exist?
Social barriers play integral roles in challenging the messages behind HIV/AIDS awareness and education efforts. This is particularly true in African- In the United States, African Americans display a wealth of socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. However, despite the limiting definition of this diverse group, African Americans have been, and continue to be, infected and affected by HIV more than any other population group in the United States. African- Like African Americans, Latinos represent a variety of cultural, socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. For many Latina women, cultural influences and traditions hinder their ability to protect themselves from HIV infection. These barriers undoubtedly play an integral role in the significant increase in the proportion of annual AIDS cases among Latina women infected heterosexually -- from 30% to 60% -- in the decade between 1986 and 1996. The actual number of AIDS cases among Latinos in the United States, when viewed in isolation, seems small and fails to accurately portray the rapidity of HIV transmission among this at-risk population group.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be more at risk of HIV infection than other population groups in the United States. This is especially true for young MSM, who are represented in nearly 75% of all reported HIV infections among young men.
Based on reports to CDC, MSM of color are infected by HIV more than men of color who are not MSM. Last year, MSM accounted for more than one quarter of all reported new HIV infections among African- In 1997, MSM transmission accounted for 35% and 42% of new HIV infections reported among Latino and Asian American/ According to CDC, young, sexually active gay and bisexual men are likely to be influenced by a number of factors that increase their risk of becoming infected with HIV. Homophobia plays a major role in depleting the self- In some high-risk situations, young MSM are also less likely to engage in safe sex with other men, despite the increase in HIV prevention messages that have been aimed at this group. According to a recent study by CDC, nearly two thirds of the gay men polled admitted to having unprotected anal sex within the past 18 months. Additionally, 56% of gay men aged 25 years or younger reported having unprotected receptive anal intercourse in the previous 18 months, compared to 46% of older men. Men who meet their sexual partners in a bar are more likely to engage in unsafe sex, the CDC study indicates.
According to CDC, Asian Americans/ Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders experience a number of cultural barriers that not only hinder the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention messages but also make it difficult to monitor the spread of HIV and the number of AIDS cases in these communities.
U.S. public health officials also are confronted with complex language barriers. Asian Americans/ The men, women and children who fall under the classification group "Native American" represent hundreds of tribal nations. Today's system of classification fails to accurately identify the myriad of ethnicities embraced by Native Americans, and thus undercounts and under-represents large numbers of people in this population group. As a result, the HIV transmission rates and numbers of AIDS cases within Native American population groups is thought to be grossly underestimated.
While language barriers do not challenge HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention efforts in Native American communities, cultural and ethnic barriers do. However, community- Of the reported HIV infections among Native American adolescent and adult males, nearly half (48%) were transmitted through unsafe MSM contact, and 15% of HIV infections were reported to be transmitted through injection drug use. CDC also indicates that of the Native American adolescent and adult females reported with HIV infections last year, a shocking 43% were infected through injection drug use, and unsafe heterosexual contact accounted for nearly one quarter of the HIV infections among this group.
Women in the United States are increasingly affected by HIV. The number of women infected with HIV via heterosexual contact increases each year, and AIDS- Women of color especially are affected by HIV. In 1997, African- While all women are biologically more susceptible to HIV infection, many women in the United States also suffer from a number of economic, cultural and social influences that make it difficult for them to protect themselves from it. This is particularly true for women of color who are disproportionately influenced by economic and cultural standards and for women who are sexually exploited or abused.
The disparities in HIV infection rates among population groups in the United States introduce a number of challenges that increasingly are being acknowledged in community- ![]()
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