Racial/Ethnic Differences

Racial/Ethnic Differences

The rates of HIV diagnosis and the risk factors for HIV infection differ for women of various races or ethnicities -- a situation that must be considered when creating prevention programs. For example, even though the annual estimated rate of HIV diagnosis for black women decreased significantly -- from 82.7 per 100,000 population in 2001 to 60.2 per 100,000 population in 2005 -- it remained 20 times the rate for white women.^3,23 Overall, the rates of HIV diagnosis are much higher for black and Hispanic women than for white, Asian and Pacific Islander, or American Indian and Alaska Native women. The rates for black women are higher than the rates for all men except for black men.^3,24,25

Multiple Risk Factors

Some women infected with HIV report more than 1 risk factor, highlighting the overlap in risk factors such as inequality in relationships, socioeconomic stresses, substance abuse, and psychological issues. For example, in the North Carolina study of HIV infection in black women, the participants most commonly reported that that their reasons for risky behavior were financial dependence on male partners, feeling invincible, low self-esteem coupled with the need to feel loved by a male figure, and alcohol and drug use.²²