HIV AIDS and African American Women
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Introduction
In recent years we have achieved considerable success on several fronts in the battle against HIV/AIDS. But even so, the face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States has changed in the last decade. It is no longer a disease associated predominately with white gay men. HIV/AIDS is increasingly becoming an epidemic for the people of color and it seemingly strikes across racial, ethnic, and gender lines (McElrath, 2002). In essence, race and ethnicity alone are not risk factors for HIV/AIDS infection.
It is estimated that 40,000 new HIV/AIDS infections occur each year (CDC, 2001). While HIV/AIDS has become a manageable disease for many, those receiving treatment must face years of multiple daily medications, possible severe side effects, and financial hardships associated with drug regimens. Though new drug treatments have lead to sharp declines in new HIV/AIDS cases and death rates in recent years, the epidemic is far from over. It is important to remember that the number of people living with HIV/AIDS is growing.
Underlining social and economic conditions may increase the risk of infections in some African American and Latino communities...