AIDS Epidemic Looms Over Indian Tribes

Strategic Insights -

Indian tribes need to prepare for the arrival of AIDS, conference attendees warned, despite the relatively low number of cases among Native Americans so far. Experts attributed the low cases to the isolation of tribes, which may have only delayed the epidemic. Karen Edge, a New Mexico state AIDS surveillance coordinator, expressed concerns that prevention education may not be enough to prevent the full effect of AIDS in the Native American community.

Key Takeaways:

  • As of August 1994, there were 818 cases of Indian AIDS nationwide, less than 1 percent of the U.S. population.
  • In New Mexico, 31 Indians had been diagnosed with AIDS, 25 of them men.
  • Many conference participants stated that AIDS remains a taboo on reservations and there is a lot of denial among American Indians.
  • Some Indians fear taking HIV tests due to concerns about hospital staff and friends or relatives working in healthcare facilities.
  • Tribal leaders are not prioritizing AIDS education, with only a few attending the conference.
  • The conference was sponsored by the Indian Health Service, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the Office of AIDS Research.

Statistics:

  • 818: the number of Indian AIDS cases nationwide as of August 1994.
  • 31: the number of Indians diagnosed with AIDS in New Mexico.
  • 25: the number of men diagnosed with AIDS in New Mexico.
  • 1 percent: the percentage of the U.S. population with Indian AIDS cases.
  • 350: the number of people who attended the Indian AIDS conference.

Sources:

  • Rachel Chicharello, director of the AIDS division at the Indian Health Service office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  • Florence Chavez, an Albuquerque Indian Hospital health educator.
  • Tom Lidot, coordinator of an AIDS education program for California-based Indian Health Council Inc.
  • Indian Health Service, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the Office of AIDS Research.