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HIV/AIDS in the Hispanic/Latino Community(06/23/2009) by CDC Press Release The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a serious threat to the Hispanic/Latino community. Hispanics/Latinos comprise 15% of the US population, but accounted for 17% of all new HIV infections occurring in the United States in 2006 [1]. During the same year, the rate of new HIV infections among Hispanics/Latinos was three times that of whites. In 2005, HIV/AIDS was the fourth leading cause of death among Hispanic/Latino men and women aged 35–44 [2]. Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 18% of the 35,314 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting* [3]. Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 17% of the 491,727 persons (including children) living with HIV/AIDS in the 33 states. Hispanic/Latino males accounted for 18% of all males living with HIV/AIDS. Hispanic/Latina females accounted for 15% of all females living with HIV/AIDS. Hispanic/Latino children accounted for 19% of the 6,703 children who were living with HIV/AIDS and for whom diagnosis was made before they were 13 years of age. For Hispanic/Latino males living with HIV/AIDS, the most common methods of HIV transmission were (in order) sexual contact with other males, injection drug use, and high-risk heterosexual contact. For Hispanic/Latina females living with HIV/AIDS, the most common methods of transmission were high-risk heterosexual contact and injection drug use [3]. HIV testing rates were slightly higher for Hispanics/Latinos than for persons of other races or ethnicities except blacks. A 2002 study showed that 50% of Hispanics/Latinos aged 15–44 had been tested and that 18% had been tested during the past year [4]. More information on HIV testing and Hispanics/Latinos is available in the report HIV Counseling and Testing among Hispanic Adolescents and Adults in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, 2005.
AIDS in 2006 Of the rates of AIDS diagnoses for adults and adolescents of all races/ethnicities, the second highest (after the rate for blacks) was the rate for Hispanics/Latinos. Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 16% of the estimated 982,498 AIDS cases diagnosed since the beginning of the epidemic [3]. By the end of 2006, an estimated 80,690 Hispanics/Latinos with AIDS in the 50 states and the District of Columbia had died [3]. Source: http://cdc.gov/hiv/hispanics/index.htm This article appears in the following topics: |
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