HIV/AIDS Among Hispanics in the United States

Abstract

In the United States, Hispanics are affected disproportionately by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Although Hispanics accounted for 14.4% of the U.S. population in 2005, they accounted for 18.9% of persons who received an AIDS diagnosis. The rate of HIV diagnosis among Hispanics also remains disproportionately high; in 2005, the annual rate of HIV diagnosis for Hispanics was three times that for non-Hispanic whites. To better characterize HIV infection and AIDS among Hispanics in the United States, CDC analyzed selected characteristics of Hispanics in whom HIV infection was diagnosed during 2001-2005 and those living with AIDS in 2005. The results indicated that the mode of HIV infection for Hispanics varied by place of birth, suggesting that all HIV-prevention measures might not be equally effective among Hispanics and that HIV educational activities should address cultural and behavioral differences among Hispanic subgroups.