HIV/AIDS
HIV infection rates in the Caribbean are the highest in the world outside of Africa,
with an estimated prevalence of 2.1%. By the end of 2003, UNAIDS estimates that approximately
430,000 individuals were living with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean, compared with 330,000 individuals
at the end of 1998; this same report cites that the true number living with HIV may be as high
as 760.
Here are some important information about AIDS in the Caribbean and
among Caribbean American Population:
- Outside of Africa,the Caribbean has the highest rates of HIV infection in the world
- Unaids estimates that there are 440,000 adults and children living with HIV/AIDs in the Caribbean
- Haiti has the highest prevalence rate - over 6% of the adult population is living with HIV/AIDs
- As of 2001, there were 250,000 HIV positive Haitians and 200,000 AIDs orphans
- There were 30,000 deaths caused by AIDs in 2001
- Unaids reports that in some areas as many as 13% of pregnant women tested were found positive
- Roughly 8% of adults in urban areas and 4% in rural areas are living with HIV/AIDs
- Aids is the leading cause of death among sexually active adults in Haiti and other Caribbean countries
- As of 2003 there were 774,467 cases of AIDs reported in the us
- 448,060 aids related deaths were reported in that timeframe
- As of march 2003, 83,249 New Yorkers were diagnosed and known to be living with HIV or AIDs
- Immigrant AIDs cases account for at least 11% of the NYC AIDs cases. (probably higher, as country of origin often missing for living AIDs cases)
- NYC immigrant AIDs cases have been reported from over 150 countries
Cancer
PROSTATE CANCER
African-American and/or Caribbean
- Black men in the US have the highest reported rate of prostate cancer worldwide.
- According to SEER data, the incidence rate among black men (180.6 per 100,000) is significantly higher than whites (134.7).
- Black men in the US die from prostate cancer 2.3 times more often than white.
- According to the NYS Cancer Registry, New York City experiences an even greater gap in the incidence rates of prostate cancer between black and white males (152.4 versus 94.3 per 100,000).
- Consistent with national data, New York City black males also die twice as often from the disease than their white counterparts. http://www.med.nyu.edu/cih/cancer/stats.html
BREAST CANCER
African-American and/or Caribbean
- Breast cancer is, after lung cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death among black women.
- Although black women in New York City have a lower incidence rate of breast cancer than white women
(81.8 versus 105.8 per 100,000), black women are dying more frequently from this disease (34% versus 27%).
These numbers highlight health disparities and limited access to medical care that prevent black women from
being screened regularly to increase their survivability.
- Obesity is associated with an increased risk of several chronic diseases, including breast cancer.
In 1998, 64% of black women were considered overweight.
- In 1997, African-American women aged 50 and older who reported receiving a mammogram within
two years prior to questioning had increased to 76.1%.
- http://www.med.nyu.edu/cih/cancer/stats.html
CERVICAL CANCER
African-American and/or Caribbean
- Compared with the national SEER rates, black US-born and Haitian women living in Brooklyn, NY
had higher rates of invasive cervical cancer than all other ethnic groups.
- Invasive cervical cancer was diagnosed in more advanced stages in Haitian and English-speaking Caribbean
immigrants than in US born black women in Brooklyn, NY.
- Late stage cervical cancer diagnoses decrease from 7.2% to 5.5% in whites between 1976-1990, while for black women it increased from 8.7% to 13.6% during the same period.
LUNG CANCER
African-American and/or Caribbean
- Lung cancer is the leading cause of death for both black men and women.
- African-American men are 50% more likely to develop lung cancer than white men,
and also have a higher mortality rate from lung cancer than white men.
- From 1991 to 1997, the prevalence of current cigarette smoking among all high school students increased 32%.
- Current cigarette smoking increased 80% among black students, versus 28% among white students.
