Overview of HIV/AIDS in the Texas-Mexico Border Region
The Border Defined
There are some challenges defining what constitutes the U.S. Mexico Border. The U.S. Mexico Border has at least three different definitions. The federal definition of the border, currently used by the U.S. Mexico Border Health Commission, encompasses 100 kilometers (62 miles) north and south of the international boundary. The U.S. Mexico border area comprises 2 sovereign nations, 4 states in the United States and 6 in Mexico, 44 counties in the U.S. and 80 municipalities ("municipios") in Mexico, as well as 14 sister cities in Mexico.1 According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 41 out of 44 border counties are medically underserved areas and half of the 44 counties are economically distressed areas.2 This federal definition covers the 32 Texas counties that lie within 100 kilometers of the Rio Grande River.
The U.S. Mexico border is considered the busiest crossing in the world. As such, the region is susceptible to the movements of infectious disease such as tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, hepatitis, shigellosis, as well as other infectious diseases. In 2005, the tuberculosis (TB) incidence rate for the 14 Texas counties immediately adjacent to the border (12.3 per 100,000) was twice that of non-border counties (6.1 per 100,000) and almost the State as whole (6.7 per 100,000).18 The U.S. Mexico Health Commission estimates that the TB rate on the border is 70% above the national average. To track and diagnose TB is difficult because cases are only counted if individuals are living, diagnosed and continue to receive treatment for three months in the same county of residence. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 63% of the TB cases diagnosed in El Paso during 2004 were foreign born.19
Texas AIDS Statistics
As of December 31, 2004, the overall AIDS rate for Texas was 14.6 AIDS cases per 100,000 population, down from 17 in 2003. The male case rate (22.4/100,000) continues to be much higher than for women (6.8/100,000). The total number of AIDS cases reported in 2004 was 3,236 (2,475 males and 761 females) and in 2003 was 3,708 (2,876 males and 832 females).21. 22
According to the Texas Department State Health Services' (DSHS) 2004 Annual Reports, African American men's proportion of AIDS went down from 34% in 2003 to 28% in 2004. Whites and Hispanic proportion also decreased during the same period, from 36% and 28% and 29% and 23%, respectively. Although White men had the highest number of AIDS cases, African American men represented the highest case rate per 100,000 population. In 2004, African American males AIDS case rate was 70 per 100,000 population.
The 2004 case rate for African American women in Texas was 35.8/100,000 population compared to 2.3/100,000 and 3.9/100,000 for White and Hispanic women, respectively. African American women in Texas represent 62% of cases among females for 2004. Women's AIDS proportions have been changing constantly, the proportion of women with AIDS went down from 2003 to 2004 for Whites (20% to 13%), African Americans (61% to 49%) and Hispanics (18% to 15%).23
Texas HIV Statistics
A total of 4,034 HIV cases were reported in 2004 a decrease from 4,802 were reported in 2003. Males accounted for 3,536 of the cases in 2003 and 3,066 in 2004. Female accounted for 1,266 of the 2003 cases and 968 of the 2004 cases. Although the number of HIV cases reported in males was highest in White men when compared to all other races and ethnic groups, African American males had four times the HIV case rate (83.9/100,000) than any other race and ethnicity (Whites 22/100,000 and Hispanics 19.8/100,000).
There was an increase in HIV cases among women from 2000 to 2004; African American women reported three times the number of White and Hispanic cases. According to the 2004 DSHS' Annual Reports, as of December 31, 2004, there were 51,600 people living HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Texas. African Americans have the highest HIV case rate (46.1/100,000) among all other racial and ethnic groups (Whites 3.3/100,000 and Hispanics 4.2/100,000). Those numbers change on the border for those populations. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services the HIV case rate for 2003 was reported as 9.8 per 100,000 for the 32 Texas border counties.24
2006-09-29 20:32:00
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answer #1
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answered by dark and beautiful 3
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