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Report
Jazmin Gonzalez
ETHS 2410-401
Abstract
HIV and AIDS are diseases that affect the immune system weakening it, making persons
with the virus more susceptible to illness. This paper will overview what HIV and AIDS are, the
history behind the virus, causes as to why the African American community is more susceptible
History
1920 when HIV crossed species from chimpanzees to humans, before the 1980s there was not a
recorded amount of people who were infected with HIV or developed AIDS, it was unknown and
there were no noticeable signs or symptoms of the transmission. The current epidemic of
HIV/AIDS started in the mid-to late 1970s-80s. In 1981, cases of a rare lung infection called
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) were documented in Los Angeles, and at the same time
cases of an aggressive cancer called Kaposis Sarcoma was documented in New York and
California. In 1982 gay-related immune deficiency (Grid) was changed and classified as acquired
immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). In 1983 the World Health Organization (WHO) held its
first meeting to assess the global AIDS situation. In 1984, the National Cancer Institute
announced they had found the cause of AIDS, the retrovirus HTLV-III, in 1986 this was changed
to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). In 1987 the FDA approved the first antiretroviral drug,
zidovudine (AZT), as a treatment for HIV, the FDA also approved the western blot blood test kit,
a specific HIV antibody test. The WHO also confirmed that HIV could be passed from mother to
child during breastfeeding. In 1990 the USA enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
which prohibits discrimination against those with disabilities including people living with HIV.
In 1991 the red ribbon became an international symbol of AIDS awareness. Earvin (Magic)
Johnson announced he had HIV and retired from basketball, this announcement helped begin to
dispel the stereotype the HIV was a gay disease. Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen,
announced he had AIDS and died a day later. In 1995 the FDA approved the first protease
HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community 4
inhibitor, highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) incorporated into clinical practice
brought an immediate decline of between 60-80% in the rates of AIDS related deaths in
countries which could afford it. In 1999, AIDS was the fourth largest cause of death worldwide
and the number one killer in Africa. In 2012 the FDA approved PrEP for HIV negative
individuals to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV. In 2013 an estimated 35 million people
Main Concepts
Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV is acquired through human contact that attacks a
persons immune system and causes a deficiency in a person's immune response over time HIV
can become AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), AIDS is the end stage result of HIV,
the virus has damaged the bodys immune system so severely that persons with AIDS develop
diseases that healthy people can resist and control eventually dying of diseases or infections that
they cannot fight off like PCP, tuberculosis, meningitis or they might develop cancers like
Kaposis Sarcoma and different forms of lymphoma. African Americans have been hit harder by
HIV/AIDS than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States that is because there is a
lack of awareness, distrust and fear of the government, there is a stigma in the community around
homosexuality, limited sexual networks, there are higher poverty rates among the community,
Causes
In Utah only about one percent of the population is African American but make up nine
percent of HIV/AIDS cases in the state, nationally 43% of cases of HIV/AIDS are African
American despite only making up nine percent of the population. 1.2 million people are living
HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community 5
with HIV/AIDS (as of 2013), in Utah 2,618 people are living with HIV/AIDS (as of 2014).
African American woman are three and a half times more likely than white woman to be
diagnosed with HIV nationally and according to AIDSVu, African American woman in Utah are
45.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than white woman and the rate of black males
diagnosed with HIV is 6.2 times that of white males. African Americans who have been
diagnosed with AIDS dont live as long as other groups with AIDS consequently AIDS is a
There is a lack of awareness in the community about HIV, many people are not aware
they have it and continue to spread it. In 2012, less than 4 in 10 African American males with
HIV were taking medicine to treat HIV. Center of Disease and Control research shows that
African Americans are less likely to receive ongoing HIV care than their caucasian and latino
counterparts despite HIV diagnoses declining over the past decade. Out of all the African
Americans with HIV only 38 percent get consistent care compared to about half of caucasians
and latinos from 2011-2013. African American males are less likely to get HIV care than African
American females (35% and 40%). While African Americans represent 12 percent of our
population they account for 43 percent of HIV diagnoses in 2014. There is also a distrust of the
government information and resources because of things like the Tuskegee syphilis study where
researchers sought out to observe the natural progression of untreated syphilis in rural African
American men in Alabama under the guise of receiving free health care, food, and burial
insurance. The study was supposed to last six months but lasted 40 years, through this entire time
none of the men infected with syphilis were told they had it, or were ever treated with penicillin
even though it was proven to treat it. There is also a stigma around homosexuality in the African
HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community 6
American community, AIDS is still considered the white, gay disease within the African
American community there is still a lot of hateful behavior, words, and mindsets against
contributes to the stigma of HIV, if someone comes out as LGBTQ to their church they dont
receive very much support or resources that could help when dealing with an HIV diagnosis.
Some think that unprotected sex is why HIV is being spread so much in the African American
community but it is actually a lack of sexual networks. African American males and females tend
to have sexual partners that are within their race. Only about 19 percent of African Americans
date outside their race meaning that black people who date within their race are more likely to
come into contact with someone who has HIV and spread the virus. Another cause as to why
HIV is so prevalent in the African American community is poverty, 26.2 percent nationally
(2014) and 23.7 percent in Utah (2016) were living in poverty compared to 14.8 percent
nationally and 10.1 in whites in Utah. Often times living in poverty means lack of access to
homelessness, substance abuse, and sex work, all these can increase the risk of contracting HIV.
Drug use, for example injecting heroin or opiates, the sharing of needles is the second most
common way African American males and females contract HIV. All these risk factors
disproportionately work against the African American community increasing the number of
individuals with HIV, 43 percent of all new cases of HIV are African American.
Strategy
Ways we can lower the impact of HIV in this community is by raising awareness in the
African American community about safe sex, and to test for HIV during every check up (if they
HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community 7
can go to the doctor), and to teach the community about using clean needles and syringes for
injecting drugs, or having them go to drug counseling to stop drug use. My solution for raising
awareness in the African American community here in Utah is by talking to the Black Student
Union (BSU) here at SLCC, the University of Utah and surrounding colleges in the area and hold
a presentation on HIV and ways to stay HIV free and ways they can help and educate their
community. While speaking to Daryl Herrschaft, HIV prevention specialist at the Utah AIDS
Foundation, he told me that African Americans with higher education levels are less likely to
contract HIV but by providing this service and presenting on it they can take back the
information they have learned and take it into their families, friends, and community. The Utah
AIDS Foundation offers free HIV testing and also offers free or low cost STI testing at their
downtown facility. My solution to get more people tested and educated is to have a vehicle that
can either pick up someone who wants a test done or a mobile testing center that can take the test
to the person wanting it. The test is simple, it takes blood by finger prick and within 20 minutes
you have your results. The cost of my first solution is relatively low, presenting to the BSUs will
be done by a volunteer of the Utah AIDS Foundation, gas will be provided and fliers or
pamphlets will be distributed. This shouldnt cost more than 20-50 dollars, it's cheap and can
potentially be very effective in reducing HIV diagnosis. My second solution would be what
costs more, to get a vehicle that can transport people or carry supplies to areas would cost
20,000-60,000 dollars when purchasing the vehicle and 2,000-10,000 dollars for gas, insurance,
and other services the vehicle might need yearly. Fliers can be passed around to local
business/schools or have a volunteer out with persons at risk to inform them where the vehicle
will be or the phone number they can call for questions and testing. Testing is free provided by
HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community 8
funding the Utah AIDS Foundation receives through donations. Ways to get the funding for the
vehicle is holding fundraisers, grants, and events that can raise awareness and funds.
Resistance
There could be resistance in the form of stigma, fear and homophobia, like stated before
there is a mistrust between the African American community and government information and
resources, people dont believe the government has their best interest at heart, they might not
believe what the Utah AIDS Foundation is trying to do with testing and informing the
community about the risk factors that can lead to HIV. Homophobia still being prominent in the
community might make persons in the community not want these resources around them.
Interview
When interviewing Daryl Herrschaft of the Utah AIDS Foundation I learned that they
dont have anyone dedicated to outreach of the African American community, the way they do
community outreach is by going to bars, conferences, running events, and going to the Pride
festival, he also mentioned that they do go to some churches and try to reach out to those
communities, Ive read that church is very important in the African American community and by
going to the churches and spreading awareness and providing resources that it can lower the
stigma of HIV, Daryl agreed with me and hopes to reach out to more churches especially in the
black community. This being said while interviewing Daryl I inquired about volunteering, if
there wasnt someone already working with the African American community he suggested that
Conclusion
HIV and AIDS has been a world wide killer of people all around the world since the
1920s, disproportionately those with HIV/AIDS are black in the US reasons for that have to do
with lack of awareness, distrust, fear, stigma, drugs, poverty and sexuality, by reaching out and
supporting those that cannot get the resources many take for granted and educating communities
about HIV and risk factors associated with the disease we can potentially lower HIV cases and
help provide those with HIV the resources they need to live a normal long life.
HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community 10
References
History of HIV and AIDS overview. (2017, September 25). Retrieved November 20,
https://aidsvu.org/state/utah/
Martin, L. J., MD (Ed.). (2016, October 16). How HIV and AIDS Affect
https://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/hiv-aids-in-blacks-alarming-crisis#1
HIV and AIDS in the United States of America (USA). (2017, June 29). Retrieved
https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/western-central-europe-north-america/usa
Innes, A. (2017, June 29). HIV and AIDS in the United States of America (USA).
https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/western-central-europe-north-america/usa
https://aidsvu.org/state/utah/