Short Paper: Evaluation of Programs

According to the CDC the HIV/AIDS reports, African-Americans are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and disparity continues to widen. African Americans represent approximately 12% of the U.S. population, but they account for approximately 43% of HIV diagnoses. The African-Americans who die of HIV/Aids represents 44% of the deaths in the U.S. The worst hit category are the black women, the youths, gays and bisexual men. Dr. Donna Hubbard McCree (2013) notes that HIV/AIDS epidemics among the blacks results from factors including poverty, lack of awareness of HIV status, stigma that prevent the majority from seeking help, high rate of sexually transmitted infection, sexual networks, lack of access to adequate health care and lack sexual education among the most affected population.

Even though recent reports demonstrate encouraging trends of reducing HIV infections among the black population, new diagnoses still occur among the black gay and bisexual men. Therefore, even with continued intervention, disproportionate trends continue among the black population continue to be reported. For example, according to the 2016 KFF reports, the number of HIV diagnoses per 100,000 of black population was 43.6 as compared to 5.2 of the whites while the Latinos were also 17.0 (Henry, J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2018). From this information, the black population continue to register the highest HIV infection where Black men register the highest new diagnoses of 82.8 per 100,000 of the population (Henry, J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2018).

HIV transmission vary by race and ethnicity. The gay population accounts for the largest new HIV case infections, as compared to heterosexuality. For example, approximately 58% new cases of HIV infection among the Blacks in 2016 was attributed male-male sexual intercourse while 14% was attributed to heterosexual intercourse (Henry, J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2018). The reminder 28% of the cases were attributed to other causes such as the drug injections.

Regarding gender and race, black women are infected with HIV through heterosexual intercourse. The rate infection among black women is 15 times that of white women. Therefore, from these statistics, the black women account for the largest share of women living with HIV and AIDs (Henry, J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2018). Even though there is reportedly high rates of HIV infections among Black women, data shows that their rate of infection continued to go down because of response to interventions since 2008. Unfortunately, Black teens and Black young adults account aged 13-24 account for approximately half of the HIV infections suggesting that they are the populations who are proactively involved with sex and a risk factor for HIV infections (Henry, J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2018).

Reference

Henry, J. Kaiser Family Foundation (2018). Black Americans and HIV/AIDS: The Basics. Retrieved on June 4, 2018 from https://www.kff.org/hivaids/fact-sheet/black-americans-and-hivaids-the-basics/

Dr. Donna Hubbard McCree (Jan 29, 2013). Factors Driving the HIV Epidemic Among African Americans. Retrieved on June 4, 2018 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMgdWacrR08&feature=youtu.be