HIV/AIDS

Overview

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the human immune system. It is transferred from an infected to a noninfected individual by bodily fluids, which include blood, breast milk, pre-ejaculate, semen, and vaginal fluid. HIV is transmitted by sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, mother to baby (known as perinatal transmission, including breast feeding, child birth, and pregnancy), and contaminated needles and syringes. The advanced or final stage of the fatal disease is known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). There is no known cure for HIV/AIDS, but antiretroviral drugs have been successful in increasing the life expectancy of those who are infected. However, these drugs are expensive and often out of reach for people in underdeveloped countries. Recognized in 1981, HIV is believed to have originated in sub-Saharan Africa. Today HIV/ AIDS is considered a pandemic. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 39.6 million worldwide are living with HIV. Although it is a global problem, sub-Saharan Africa carries the largest burden of cases, and females are disproportionately infected. It is estimated that 25 million people around the globe have died of AIDS since the virus was identified.

U.S. Data

Although the number of HIV infections and AIDS diagnoses in the United States has not been as prevalent as in sub-Saharan Africa, it remains a serious public health problem. The first HIV cases began appearing in gay men in 1981, and HIV was initially labeled a gay or homosexual disease. [Page 352]According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the infection rate peaked in the 1980s with approximately 150,000 new infections annually, then dramatically decreased to 40,000 infections annually, where it has remained. As a result of antiretroviral drugs entering the market in 1996, AIDS cases began to decrease. In the United States, approximately 500,000 people have died from AIDS since 1981. Today over 1 million Americans are currently living with HIV and one quarter are unaware they are infected, indicating the need for more public awareness and additional prevention efforts.

Race

In terms of race and ethnicity, HIV/AIDS has affected minorities more than Whites, thus creating a health disparity. African Americans and Hispanics are disproportionately represented with HIV/AIDS. According to the CDC, although Blacks comprise 14% of the U.S. population (based on the 2000 U.S. Census), they account for 49% of HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed. In comparison, Hispanics comprise 14% of the population and make up 18% of HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 2005. The CDC reported that in 2005, the rate of AIDS diagnoses for Black adults and adolescents was 10 times greater than that of Whites and nearly 3 times greater than for Hispanics; the rate of AIDS diagnoses for Black women was nearly 23 times that of White women; and the rate of AIDS diagnoses for Black men was 8 times greater than that of White men, indicating the disparity among races. With regard to life expectancy, on average Blacks diagnosed with AIDS do not live as long as do non-Blacks. Moreover, AIDS is a leading cause of death for Black females. According to the CDC, in 2002 HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death for Black women ages 25 to 34. Thus far, 211,000 Blacks have died from AIDS. The statistics for the Black population indicate a health crisis.

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