Introduction
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2017), health disparities are “differences in the incidence, prevalence, and mortality of a disease and the related adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups” (para. 1). One of the possibilities to study health disparities is to divide the population by race or ethnicity. These disparities attempt to explain why this or that population group is at a higher risk of contracting a disease than another. In the United States, national minorities demonstrate various health disparities. For example, minorities are in greater danger of getting HIV/AIDS than the white population. Thus, the issue of this statement is HIV/AIDS prevalence among the Hispanic/Latino population of the United States.
HIV/AIDS among Hispanic/Latino American Population
The Hispanic/Latino population constituted seventeen percent of American citizens as of 2014 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017, para. 2). However, they made up twenty-three percent of patients diagnosed with HIV. These statistics are dangerous because one year before, 18.7% of Hispanics/Latinos had this diagnosis and there is a tendency to the increase of the infected people (Gray, Valverde, Tang, Siddiqi, & Hall, 2015).
Research by Gray et al. (2015) studied diagnoses and the prevalence of HIV infection among Hispanics or Latinos in the United States during 2008–2013. The researchers considered behavioral risk factors for HIV infection among Hispanics or Latinos and concluded that they were different for men and women. The place of birth was also a significant factor. Thus, HIV infection of Hispanic or Latino men born in Puerto Rico (24.9%) was mainly connected with injection drug use (Gray et al., 2015). As for Hispanic and Latino women with HIV infection, females born in the United States (21.2%) and Puerto Rico (20.5%) had more HIV infections caused by injection drug use than other groups.
Significance of the Health Disparity and its Impact on Hispanic/Latino Population
HIV/AIDS as a health disparity is important for the population because it influences the daily life and social behavior of a person and his or her family. HIV is a serious health hazard to Hispanic and Latino communities due to the fact that the amount of infected people in this minority is disproportionately large if compared to other populations in the United States (“CDC fact sheet: HIV among Latinos,” 2017). It is even more dangerous because the factors influencing the HIV/AIDS prevalence in this population are varied due to the diversity of these communities.
These complex factors include a high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and higher rates of HIV, social and economic issues, stigma, and cultural factors. Consequently, it is more complicated to develop prevention strategies that include all factors and can be efficient. CDC states that prevention efforts resulted in “promising declines in new diagnoses among Latinos from 2005 to 2010” (“CDC fact sheet: HIV among Latinos,” 2017, para. 1). Nevertheless, in recent years, a tendency to increase is being observed in new HIV diagnoses. Thus, more attention should be paid to this disparity and possible prevention to reduce HIV/AIDS incidence among the Hispanic/Latino populations in the United States.
HIV/AIDS Prevalence among Hispanics/Latinos
As it was mentioned above, Hispanics/Latinos made up 23% of HIV infection diagnoses in the United States while making up only 17% of the whole population (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017, para. 2). By transmission category, as of 2015, 75% of HIV cases were detected among men having sex with men (MSM), 17% among heterosexual men and women (11% females and 6% males), 5% among the people who inject drugs (1% females and 4% males correspondently), and 3% among MSM who are also injection drug users (“CDC fact sheet: HIV among Latinos,” 2017). On the whole, men make up 88% of HIV diagnoses. If compared by gender and race/ethnicity, Hispanic males accounted for 37.4% of all infected men (contrasted to 84.8% of black and 10.8% of white men). Hispanic females accounted for 5.3% compared to 26.2% of black and 1.6% of white women (“CDC fact sheet: HIV among Latinos,” 2017).
Also, regional differences are significant for the HIV burden among Latinos/Hispanics in the United States. Thus, the HIV diagnosis level is the highest in the Northeast. In addition, men diagnosed with HIV in the Northeast have the greatest chance to be infected by intravenous drug use while those in the South are more likely to be infected through male-to-male sexual contact (“CDC fact sheet: HIV among Latinos,” 2017). High HIV prevalence resulted in the AIDS epidemic. As of 2015, more than 100,000 Latinos/Hispanics with AIDS died.
Nursing Organizations about HIV/AIDS
Nursing organizations in the United States support the infected people, provide care, and deal with the process of treatment. However, sometimes not only nursing issues are in the center of their attention. Thus, the American Nursing Association and the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) called for the elimination of HIV criminalization laws (Spring, 2015). These organizations claimed it was unfair to punish people with HIV. It was suggested that the efforts should be united to make laws that help to inform the population on the disease, provide its treatment, and reduce transmission risk (Spring, 2015). Moreover, ANAC outlined that HIV criminalization can interfere with the process of HIV prevention, care, and treatment. They believe that people with HIV may personalize such judgments and become afraid of testing, disclosing their status of being infected, or refuse health care.
Conclusions: Position Statement
I believe that it is significant for a nurse to support the Hispanic/Latino population with this disparity. First of all, attention should be focused on the availability of healthcare facilities able to provide HIV testing, psychological support, and necessary treatment in the areas of high HIV prevalence. This national minority often has bad access to health care due to financial problems. Consequently, state or government programs should be designed to support free HIV testing in the districts of high risk. Another important aspect of advocating for the Hispanic/Latino population with HIV infection is the development of prevention strategies. They should start with the dissemination of information on this disease among the adolescent population. Proper information on the ways of infection transmission is likely to reduce its spread.
I consider such advocacy a necessity. National minorities are usually less socially protected and thus more vulnerable. Moreover, the Hispanic/Latino minority is one of the biggest in the United States after African Americans. Thus, its representatives live and work throughout the country, and their activity is not limited to their communities. Consequently, high rates of HIV infection within a national minority increase the risk of getting the infection for the rest of the population. Therefore, actions should be taken to reduce HIV incidence among Hispanics/Latinos and popularize prevention strategies. Moreover, it is important to underline that HIV is a treatable medical condition in case it is timely diagnosed and treated.
References
CDC fact sheet: HIV among Latinos. (2017). Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Health disparities in HIV/AIDS, viral Hepatitis, STDs, and TB. Web.
Gray, K.M., Valverde, E.E., Tang, T., Siddiqi, A.A., & Hall, I. (2015). Diagnoses and prevalence of HIV infection among Hispanics or Latinos – United States, 2008-2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 64(39). Web.
Spring, S. (2015). ANA and Association of Nurses in AIDS Care call for repeal of HIV criminalization laws. Web.