TOPIC: Epidemiology
OTHER KEYWORDS: Asians & Pacific Islanders
TITLE: Epidemiology of HIV and AIDS among Asian and Pacific Islander Americans
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sy FS, Chng CL, Choi ST, Wong FY. Epidemiology of HIV and AIDS among Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. AIDS Education and Prevention. 1998; 10 (Suppl A): 4-18.
SUMMARY
This paper reflects on the epidemiology of HIV and AIDS among Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and its impact on prevention and intervention programs. Focusing on relatively low numbers of APIs with AIDS in the US has resulted in complacency among API communities and government officials, despite reports of seroprevalence and exponential growth in diagnosed AIDS cases. However, because of geographic and social isolation of many Asian and Pacific Islander American communities, the effect of HIV is magnified once it takes hold. The low numbers of reported AIDS cases among API and the perception of them as the "model minority" has reinforced their denial of AIDS as a threat. Data collection and surveillance tools must be modified to accurately capture the range of HIV-related and social issues that affect Asian/Pacific Islander communities in the United States. Notwithstanding sample limitations, ethnic-specific data are needed to identify HIV trends in each of the Asian Pacific Islander American communities, which can inform prevention and intervention programs.