America Living With AIDS

AMERICA Living

of Americans; these individuals compose 64 percent of the cases of AIDS
reported since the beginning of the
epidemic. African-Americans constitute 12 percent of the
United States population,
but nearly 28 percent of
IDS/HIV AIDS cases. Hispanics
ed more constitute 9 percent of the
standing population, but 16 percent
ide it clear of AIDS cases. Unless susweeping tained support for targetchanges in ed interventions that facilres for itate access to a broad
iy. range of health and social
services is given, there is
D T every indication that these
communities will continue to be disproportionately represented among
AIDS cases in the future.
The number of women and children infected with HIV-particularly
within communities of color-continues to grow dramatically. In fact,
AIDS cases among women are growing faster than AIDS cases among
men. As of June 1991, women
accounted for 10 percent of all AIDS
cases. In 1991 AIDS is projected to
become one of the top five causes of
death for young women.
Increasingly, parents who are themselves infected are forced to make agonizing choices for themselves, their
infected children, and their uninfected
children. Parents may sacrifice their
own health as they seek care for their
children and must struggle with issues

of how to provide for both sick and
healthy children after their death.
New York City officials project an
"orphan burden" of approximately
20,000 children who will need to be
cared for by relatives or placed in foster homes when their parents die of
AIDS in the next few years. About one
fourth of these children will be HIV
positive themselves. Intravenous drug
use has contributed significantly to
this new trend. Approximately 70 percent of all pediatric AIDS cases are
directly related to maternal exposure
to HIV through intravenous drug use
or sex with an intravenous drug user.
Communities all across the United
States are struggling to confront the
twin epidemics of HIV and substance
use. The nexus between HIV and substance use is unarguable. Already,
approximately 31 percent of all AIDS
cases can be linked, either directly or
indirectly, to intravenous drug use.
Cases of HIV infection related to
unprotected sexual activity under the
influence of crack cocaine, alcohol, or
other substances is another disturbing
trend, especially among adolescents.
Drug treatment centers are ill equipped to deal with the growing numbers
of substance users with HIV disease.
The lack of treatment slots, training,
and funding only perpetuates this
insidious link.
The number of reported AIDS
cases does not, however, accurately
portray the scope of the epidemic
because such figures represent only 10
to 15 percent of the total number of
people now infected with HIV in the
United States. CDC estimates that, at
present, approximately one adult male

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