: Hiv/Aids. It’s Effect on Cultural Views/Outlook on Different Ethnic Groups

Topic: HIV/AIDS. It’s effect on cultural views/outlook on different ethnic groups.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome according to Wikipedia is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This condition reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors. The virus can and will attack all organs of the human body causing severe debilitation and ultimately leading to death, if not treated. Although AIDS is not curable, the use of different drugs has slowed down the damaging effects of the disease.

PREVALENCE OF HIV/AIDS AMONG ETHNIC GROUPS

In the African American communities, the HIV/AIDS rate has reached a state of epidemic proportions. This is evident in the 2006 statistics which estimated that 1.1 million people are living with the HIV virus. Studies show that 46% of this number was African American, which represented 12% of the U.S. population and they continue to have a higher proportion of cases of HIV/AIDS than all other races and ethnicities. This is inclusive of those who are infected with HIV to those who died of AIDS when compared to the other races. HIV data for 2007 estimated that 48% of the 551,932 people, (including children), were living with HIV in 34 states. Of that 48%, the African Americans population represented 51% of those infected by the HIV/AIDS virus.

HIV/AIDS among Hispanics/Latinos population has become a serious threat to the community. The Hispanic/Latinos communities comprise 15% of the U.S. population, but accounted for 17% of all new HIV infections. The rate of the new HIV infections among Hispanics/Latinos was 2.5 times the rate of Caucasians. In 2006, HIV/AIDS among Hispanics males and females was the leading cause of death in the age range 35 – 44 (CDC, 2009). There was a total of 42, 655 new cases of HIV/AIDS being diagnosed in 34 different states. Hispanics has a...