Epidemiologic differences between native-born and foreign-born black people diagnosed with HIV infection in 33 U.S. states, 2001-2007.
OBJECTIVE
Few studies have examined the extent to which foreign-born people contribute to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic among non-Hispanic black people in the U.S. We sought to determine differences in the epidemiology of HIV infection among native- and foreign-born black people, using data from the national HIV surveillance system of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


METHODS
We estimated the number of HIV infections among black adults and adolescents diagnosed from 2001 to 2007 in 33 U.S. states. We compared annual HIV diagnosis rates, distributions of demographic characteristics and HIV-transmission risk factors, late diagnoses of HIV infection, and survival after an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) diagnosis for native- and foreign-born black people.


RESULTS
From 2001 to 2007, an estimated 100,013 black adults and adolescents were diagnosed with HIV infection in 33 U.S. states, for which country-of-birth information was available. Of these, 11.7% were foreign-born, with most from the Caribbean (54.1%) and Africa (41.5%). Annual HIV diagnoses decreased by 5.5% per year (95% confidence interval [CI] -5.9, -5.0) among native-born black people. Decreases were small among foreign-born black people (-1.3%; 95% CI -2.6, -0.1), who were more likely to be female, have HIV infection attributable to high-risk heterosexual contact, be diagnosed with AIDS within 12 months of HIV diagnosis, and survive one year and three years after an AIDS diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
The epidemiology of HIV infection differs for foreign-born black individuals compared with their native-born counterparts in the U.S. These data can be used to develop culturally appropriate and relevant HIV-prevention interventions.
Johnson
Anna Satcher
AS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Infectious Diseases, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, MS E-47, 1600 Clifton Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. ats5@cdc.gov
Hu
Xiaohong
X
Dean
Hazel D
HD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D001741:Black or African American; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult