HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community 1

HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community

Jazmin Gonzalez

ETHS 2410-401

Salt Lake Community College

HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community 2

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

to the virus, proposed solutions, areas of resistance, and an interview overview.

HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community 3

HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community

History

It is believed that HIV originated in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo in

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

were living with HIV.

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,

and because of drug use.

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

leading cause of death among African Americans.

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

homosexuality. There is also a lack of support of homosexuality in black churches that

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

healthcare, education, transportation, no access to information for testing or treatment, increased

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

I become a volunteer and help with those outreach programs.

HIV/AIDS in Utahs African American Community 9

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

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A. (2017, November 21). Utah. Retrieved November 20, 2017, from

https://aidsvu.org/state/utah/

Martin, L. J., MD (Ed.). (2016, October 16). How HIV and AIDS Affect

African-Americans, and Why. Retrieved November 21, 2017, from

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

November 19, 2017, from

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).

Retrieved November 19, 2017, from

https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/western-central-europe-north-america/usa

A. (2017, November 21). Utah. Retrieved November 18, 2017, from

https://aidsvu.org/state/utah/

Daryl Herrschaft, HIV prevention specialist at the Utah AIDS Foundation