Last Reviewed:
June 5, 2007
Content Source:
Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities (OMHD) |
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Eliminate Disparities in HIV and AIDS
What is the Burden of HIV/AIDS in the United States?
HIV infection is the fifth leading cause of death for people who
are 25-44 years old in the United States,1 and
is the leading
cause of death for African-American men
ages 35-44.2
Overall estimates are that
850,000 to 950,000 U.S.
residents are living with HIV infection,
one-quarter of whom are unaware of their infection.3
Approximately 40,000 new HIV
infections occur each year in the United States, and approximately 5
million new HIV cases occur each year worldwide.3
Examples of Important Disparities
Racial and ethnic populations have been disproportionately affected by
both the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. Although
African-American and Hispanic persons represent about one-quarter of the
country’s population, more than half of new AIDS cases reported to CDC are among
these populations.4 Among children, the
disparities are even more dramatic, with
African-American and Hispanic children representing
more than 80 percent of pediatric AIDS cases
in 2000.5 Approximately
78 percent of HIV-infected women are minorities and most become infected through
heterosexual transmission. HIV infection acquired through injection
drug use has been a major factor affecting minority communities. During 1995, 50
percent of the AIDS cases acquired as a result of injection drug use were in
African Americans and 24 percent were in Hispanics.6
What is the Goal?
The target date for eliminating disparities 2010. Public health
agencies are looking at ways to reduce HIV infection among minority populations.
They plan to
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Increase services to diagnose HIV early. |
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Make appropriate health services more available. |
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Provide early and equal access to health care and drugs
for at least 75 percent of low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS. |
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Educate medical providers so that Medicaid-eligible women
and HIV-infected children can receive clinical
care. |
Promising Strategies
Improve recognition of risk, detection of infection, referral to
follow-up care, and assuring proper treatment. Providers must ensure that more
people in these minority populations:
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Know if they have HIV. |
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Receive appropriate counseling and treatment. |
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Have early access to medical care to prevent or delay
AIDS. |
Clinical trials need to address the specific needs and concerns of
minority groups. Researchers need to ensure that minority patients have an
opportunity to participate in these trials, and to communicate the
results of the studies to minority communities. Information on AIDS
needs to
be distributed in languages other than English and in low-literacy
formats.
What can Healthcare Providers Do To Help Stop The Spread of HIV/AIDS?
Practitioners must ensure that HIV counseling, testing, and
screening programs are accessible to HIV-infected individuals. Patients should
be counseled on prevention strategies and other methods to reduce the risk of
contracting the disease. Physicians should also explain the benefits of knowing
one’s serostatus, refer patients to other medical services, and ensure patients
receive effective therapies.
What is the Community’s Role in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS?
Until an effective vaccine is developed for the prevention of HIV
infection, communities must continue to support programs that emphasize
behavioral risk reduction and other prevention strategies targeted to
populations with high HIV infection rates. Because many individuals in these
communities are aware of their serostatus only after being diagnosed with AIDS,
communities must assist at-risk individuals in accessing treatment programs
designed to diagnose HIV infection early and institute proper care.
For more information about HIV and AIDS:
Sources
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1
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS),
Health, United
States, 2002,
Table 33. |
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2
NCHS, National Vital Statistics Report, vol 50(16); 30 |
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3
NIAID,
2002. |
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4
National Center for HIV,
STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention (NCHSTP), 2001. |
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5
NCHS, Health, United
States, 2002,
Table 54. |
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6
NIAID, 2001. |
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