AIDSVote

COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND HIV/AIDS — DETAILS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Racial and ethnic populations have been disproportionately affected by 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. 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.Approximately 78 percent of HIV-infected women are minorities and most become infected through heterosexual transmission. (More info here.)

During the years 2001-2004, black and Hispanic men who have sex with men (MSM) had higher rates of HIV/AIDS diagnoses across all age groups than did white MSM, according to a new CDC study to be published in the June 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health .

Additionally, even though overall HIV/AIDS diagnoses rates remained stable for MSM during this time period, the rates for younger MSM (between the ages of 13 and 24) showed large increases. (More info here).

Many studies have emphasized the racial disparities in the U.S. HIV epidemic and highlight significant areas of unmet need. HIV prevention and diagnosis strategies clearly must focus on communities of color, with targeted strategies to reach women of color, gay men and other men of color who have sex with men, African American women, youth, people who are incarcerated, homeless and/or active substance users and other marginalized populations.

The fact that blacks take longer to seek HIV medical care and have lower CD4+ cell counts at the time of diagnosis speaks to issues of stigma, poor access to care and mistrust of the medical establishment. This phenomenon is also seen in the African American, Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander and First Nation communities, as well as among women and youth of color.

Even once in care, minorities are less likely to receive (and take) antiretroviral therapies, and these individuals may have differing patterns of disease and medication toxicity. On both sides of the prescription pad, medical professionals and community groups will need to work together to better understand the reasons for these disparities and identify strategies for overcoming such inequalities. (More info here.)

Multiple Federal efforts have been undertaken to address the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS among minority populations.

The President's Health Disparities Initiative addresses six areas of health disparities experienced by racial and ethnic minority populations, including HIV/AIDS.

In 1999, the Congressional Black Caucus pronounced AIDS a crisis in the African-American community. This action was followed by funds for programs targeting African Americans and other minority populations. HHS divisions were charged to rapidly allocate the funds through various initiatives and grants to communities to conduct prevention and care and treatment activities.

Additional resources were earmarked in the Secretary's Emergency Fund to target minority communities with assistance. The Leadership Campaign on AIDS and the Crisis Response Teams Initiative are two groundbreaking projects of HHS that are responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis in communities of color.

HHS has undertaken many efforts to address HIV/AIDS in minority communities. Examples include convening national forums to identify strategies for eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health and agency-specific efforts such as promoting increased NIH research on HIV/AIDS in minority communities.

AIDSVote and the Campaign to End AIDS urge our next President to turbocharge these and other efforts to fight AIDS in communities of color as part of the effort to end AIDS.

LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION

HHS Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative
http://www.omhrc.gov/omh/aids/aidshome.htm

Hispanic Agenda for Action
http://www.haa.omhrc.gov/

Asian American and Pacific Islander Action Agenda
http://www.aapi.omhrc.gov/

National Minority Council AIDS: " The Minority AIDS Initiative: Meeting the Challenges in Communities of Color Nationwide" White Paper

http://www.nmac.org/nmac2/PDF/NMAPP_RyanWhite_Paper.pdf

Black AIDS Institute: "AIDS in Blackface, 25 Years of an Epidemic"

http://www.blackaids.org/image_uploads/article_202/.pdf

Latino Commission on AIDS: "HIV and AIDS, Hispanic Fact Sheets"

http://www.latinoaids.org/facts/index.htm

Bienestar

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