Module 3: Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS among Native Communities

Goal of Module 3:
To help you identify how and why HIV/AIDS spreads in your Native community in order to strengthen your intervention.

Epidemiology is the study of the ways in which a disease progresses through a population. In order to plan and carry out an effective intervention, you must understand how and why people in your community become infected with and spread HIV.

In this module, you will find:

  • an article on epidemiology as it relates to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians
  • Fast Facts that offer useful statistics and information
  • Fact Sheets that offer statistics for specific Native populations
  • resources for further research on the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS
  • exercises that provide steps toward learning about epidemiology in your community

 
Contents Sexually Transmitted Infections
1.

Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS among AI/AN/NHs:


2. Fast Facts about the Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS for AI/AN/NHs:
3. Fact Sheets
 

HIV/AIDS among AI/ANs in Alaska
 

HIV/AIDS among AI/ANs in Arizona
 

HIV/AIDS among Native Americans in California
 

HIV/AIDS among Native Americans in Minnesota
 

HIV/AIDS among AI/ANs in New Mexico
 

HIV/AIDS among Native Americans in New York
 

HIV/AIDS among Native Americans in North Carolina
 

HIV/AIDS among AI/ANs in Oklahoma
 

HIV/AIDS among Native Americans in Washington
4. Finding Data
4a. Resources
4b. Module 3 Exercises
  • American Indians and Alaska Natives had the second highest gonorrhea rate in 2005, compared with African Americans, Hispanics, whites, and Asian/Pacific Islanders.27 Most cases of gonorrhea (33% among women and 28% among men) in Hawaii were among Native Hawaiians.28
  • In 2004, 10.7% of 15-44 year-old women screened at clinics in two Indian Health Service areas had chlamydia.29 In 2005, the rate of chlamydia among AI/ANs was 4.9 times higher than that of whites. Following African Americans, AI/ANs have the second highest rate of chlamydia infection of any race/ethnicity.30
  • From 2000-2004 in the State of Hawaii, there were 549 cases (26% of the total) of chlamydia reported for Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. 31

27 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trends in Reportable Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the United States, 2005: National Surveillance Data for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; December 2006.

28 Whiticar, Peter. Slide presentation for Papa Ola Lokahi Board Meeting (1/9/05), titled “HIV/AIDS, STD and Hepatitis: Serving the Native Hawaiian Population.”

29 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2004 Supplement, Chlamydia Prevalence Monitoring Project. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, December 2005.

30 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2003. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2004.

31 Hawaii Department of Health. PowerPoint presentation, slide titled “Number of Reported Cases of Chlamydia by Race, Hawaii, 2000-2004. Honolulu: Hawaii Department of Health, STD/AIDS Prevention Branch; 2006. Available at: http://www.hawaii.gov/health/healthy-lifestyles/std-aids/data-statistics/figures/5. Accessed June 21, 2006.