|
General: Race and ethnicity by themselves do not increase or decrease an individual's risk of HIV infection. However, certain people are more likely to face challenges associated with the risk for HIV infection, such as lack of awareness of HIV status, substance abuse, or socioeconomic issues. African Americans: In 2004, African Americans accounted for 20,965 (49%) of the 42,514 estimated AIDS cases diagnosed in the United States. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American adults and adolescents was 10 times higher than the rate of whites, and almost three times higher than the rate of Latinos. In addition, the rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American women was 23 times higher than the rate of white women. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American men was eight times higher than the rate of white men, according to the CDC. Latinos: In 2004, Latinos accounted for 20% (8,672) of the 42,514 new diagnoses in the United States, according to the CDC. Most Latino men acquired infections after exposure to the virus through sexual contact with other men, followed by injection drug use, and heterosexual contact. Most Latino women acquired infections after exposure to the virus through heterosexual contact, followed by injection drug use. HIV testing rates were higher among Latinos than any other race or ethnicity except African Americans. According to the CDC, in 2004, about 50% of Hispanics between the ages of 15 and 44 were tested, and 18% had been tested during the past year. Women: After the initial outbreak of HIV, few women were diagnosed with the virus. Today, women account for more than a quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States. In 2004, an estimated 93,566 women were living with AIDS, making up 23% of the estimated 415,193 people living with AIDS in the United States. Youth (13–24 years old): In the United States, it is estimated that 50% of the 40,000 new HIV infections each year occur in people younger than 25 and 25% occur in people younger than 21. HIV/AIDS ranks as the sixth–leading cause of death among individuals ages 15–24 in the United States, with the number of AIDS cases reported each year in that age group increasing by 417% from 1981 through 1994. Injection–drug users: Since the AIDS epidemic began, injection drug use (IDU) with illegal drugs has directly and indirectly accounted for more than one–third of AIDS cases in the United States. In the year 2000, out of the 42,156 new cases of AIDS reported, 11,635 were IDU–associated. Injection drug use is more common among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, which makes them more likely to acquire HIV through IDU. In 2000, IDU accounted for 26% of all AIDS cases among African American adults and 31% among Hispanic adults and adolescents, compared to 19% of all cases among white adults and adolescents. Homosexuals: Men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for 70% of all estimated HIV infections among male adults and adolescents in 2004 in the United States, according to the CDC. Although the number of HIV diagnoses for MSM decreased during the 1980s and 1990s, the number increased by 8% from 2003 through 2004. According to the CDC, it is unknown whether this increase is because more people are getting tested for HIV or because more patients are becoming infected with HIV.
 |
Learn
