Of all the public health messages that have been spread across the country, I hope by now the majority of people acknowledge that HIV infection is not just a “gay white man’s disease.” The nonchalant attitude of the ‘80’s was clearly a misinformed belief that HIV was not in every sexual community but only in those of men who have sex with men. Heterosexual individuals felt immune to the risks at that time until that infamous November day in 1991 when Magic Johnson announced that he was HIV positive. I honestly believe that for most people his announcement made HIV more realistic and closer to home.
HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, destroys certain important cells that are used in fighting infection, thereby weakening the immune system. There is no cure for HIV but it can be controlled with medication and proper care by an infectious disease doctor. Certain groups within the United States are more likely to get HIV depending upon geography, risk behaviors and the type of sexual partner with whom they engage.
To date, the best prevention against HIV is barrier protection with a condom but this is only true when the condom is used consistently and correctly. Yet, I am always amazed at the number of people who continue to have unprotected intercourse. Therefore, when patients admit to me that they are participating in such risky behavior, I often ask, “do you trust this person with your life?” Some actually respond no, yet they continue their dangerous behavior.
In the United States, one in four people living with HIV, are women. Per the CDC, Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina women are disproportionately affected by HIV as compared with women of other races/ethnicities. Of the 137,504 estimated number of women living with diagnosed HIV at the end of 2013, 61 percent were African American, 17 percent were Hispanic, and 17 percent were white. Heterosexual sex is the main cause of new HIV infections in women and in most cases women were unaware that their partners were HIV positive.
There exists many challenges to preventing HIV in minority communities. First of all, women of certain ethnic backgrounds tend to prefer partners from similar backgrounds, thereby increasing their exposure to the virus. Secondly, the risk of getting HIV via vaginal intercourse is higher for women than men and the risk is greater in the receptive partner in anal sex. In a behavioral survey of heterosexual women at increased risk of HIV, again per the CDC, 25 percent of HIV-negative women reported having anal sex without a condom in the previous year. Furthermore, having co-infections with sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhea greatly increase the likelihood of getting or spreading HIV.
Though new HIV diagnoses declined from 2005-2014 by 40 percent and the highest decline was seen among African Americans, a disparity continues to exist particularly for women of color. The CDC, physician groups, public health advocates, and grassroots organizations are all fighting to tame this wild beast called HIV. Please join us in the fight! Spread the word!
Your family doctor,
Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D.
Assistant Professor
SLUCare Family Medicine
yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com
