Post by Blaque on Nov 6, 2006 14:57:11 GMT -5
Blacks represent 68% of cases in the state
In 1981, the first cases of AIDS in this country were medically typed and stereotyped - it was a gay white man's disease.
Now, 25 years later, among Mississippi's children in particular, it is an African-American disease.
African Americans of all ages represent 68 percent of AIDS cases in Mississippi, compared with 40 percent nationwide, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Mississippi, 58 children are known to be living with AIDS; all but six are African American, says Dr. Hannah Gay, head of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
When children are born with AIDS, it's because the disease was passed on to them by their mothers at birth. In practically all cases, this doesn't have to be so, not if the mother is treated for her disease around the time the child is born.
"In Mississippi, no woman who's HIV-infected has given birth to an HIV-infected baby if she has participated in perinatal therapy," says Craig Thompson, director of the state Department of Health's STD/HIV bureau.
If an HIV mother gives birth without intervention, the baby will be infected about 30 percent of the time.
"An estimated 70 to 90 percent of the infections transmitted are done so by people who don't know they are infected," Thompson says.
They may not know because it could take "eight to 10 years before symptoms show up in adults after they're infected," Gay says.
UNJUSTIFIED FEAR
More and more, those who are getting infected are African-American women, says James DeDeaux, executive director of South Mississippi AIDS Task Force in Biloxi. "Unprotected sex accounts for close to 90 percent of Mississippi's HIV disease," Thompson says.
In Mississippi, higher percentages of black residents are being diagnosed with AIDS for reasons that are compelling and, sometimes, subtle, Gay says.
"Risk-taking behavior is higher than it is among the white population. That's probably because of poverty," she says. "Also, there are some genetic mutations that cause people to be less susceptible to getting the virus, and those are found mostly in people of European descent.
"And, although, I have no scientific basis for this, I have a suspicion that, in Mississippi, we have more whites who are infected than we can count. They go elsewhere for treatment because they have the resources and prefer to remain anonymous here."
No matter their race, remaining anonymous is important to some because of the stigma that clings to AIDS. The fear.
It is an unjustified fear, health officials says.
"The bottom line is that HIV is transmitted by blood-to-blood contact or sexual fluids," Gay says.
"It's more difficult to contract AIDS than many of the other viruses. Hepatitis B, for instance.
"As for children, people say: 'What about biting, kissing, eating after them?'
"All of those are not documented modes of transmission. It's conceivable that you can get it by touching someone's infected blood, but it's not likely.
"If you were to take blood from an infected child and accidentally stick yourself with the needle, the chance of contracting the disease is less than half of 1 percent."
Still, there are parents who fear backlash, DeDeaux says.
"Although it's against the law to discriminate against someone with a disability, I think it's going to take a lot of years before this disease loses its stigma.
"It took people who were alcoholics or drug addicts a long time to get to the point that, when they admitted it in public, the response became: 'OK, at least you're doing something about it.'"
In some cases, shame will goad families to reject a child diagnosed with AIDS; he or she is adopted or placed in foster care, Thompson says.
It's the stigma of sex. The stigma, or perception, of homosexuality. The stigma of God's punishment for sins.
"The family may not be willing to have an HIV-infected child in their home," Thompson says.
"Or they won't, or can't, provide the treatment necessary to save the child's life because they're using drugs to the extent that they can't pay attention to it.
"Most women giving birth to infected babies are severely involved in drugs and/or alcohol."
EXPELLING THE STIGMA
Considering that most of these infected babies are African American, Thompson believes it's important for black churches to get involved, to exorcise the stigma.
"The influence of the African-American churches in their community is considerable," Thompson says.
"There is an existing tension between public health prevention methods and some religious beliefs. However, the African-American community is becoming more involved, and leading that involvement has been a handful of very progressive and responsive African-American churches."
Many churches today have health-care ministries, says the Rev. Hosea Hines, pastor of College Hill Baptist Church in Jackson.
"These ministries certainly play a significant part in intervention because they inform and educate the church constituencies on many health issues."
But the prejudice persists, says Shirley Hopkins Davis, president of the local A.M.E. Women's Missionary Society in Jackson.
"Some people don't want to be around it," says Davis, whose organization has focused on HIV/AIDS education and prevention.
"We found that's the main reason some people are homeless.
"The church has a very important role in educating the people about AIDS. Our church doesn't have a problem discussing with the children about sexual behavior. We're also teaching them about AIDS and how they can get it and how to prevent getting it.
"And, since the number of African-American women with AIDS is on the rise, we're still trying to make them understand that their lifestyle contributes to whether they get this disease."
There is some good news about AIDS in Mississippi.
"Mississippi has a long history of proactive HIV screening," Thompson says. The effort hinges on cooperation among private and public clinics, the state Health Department and UMC's pediatric infectious diseases clinic, he says.
"The result is that only 13 percent of Mississippians who are determined to be HIV positive subsequently develop an AIDS-defining illness within one year.
"The national figures are between 30 and 40 percent, meaning that Mississippi is doing an excellent job of locating people with HIV disease."
In 1981, the first cases of AIDS in this country were medically typed and stereotyped - it was a gay white man's disease.
Now, 25 years later, among Mississippi's children in particular, it is an African-American disease.
African Americans of all ages represent 68 percent of AIDS cases in Mississippi, compared with 40 percent nationwide, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Mississippi, 58 children are known to be living with AIDS; all but six are African American, says Dr. Hannah Gay, head of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
When children are born with AIDS, it's because the disease was passed on to them by their mothers at birth. In practically all cases, this doesn't have to be so, not if the mother is treated for her disease around the time the child is born.
"In Mississippi, no woman who's HIV-infected has given birth to an HIV-infected baby if she has participated in perinatal therapy," says Craig Thompson, director of the state Department of Health's STD/HIV bureau.
If an HIV mother gives birth without intervention, the baby will be infected about 30 percent of the time.
"An estimated 70 to 90 percent of the infections transmitted are done so by people who don't know they are infected," Thompson says.
They may not know because it could take "eight to 10 years before symptoms show up in adults after they're infected," Gay says.
UNJUSTIFIED FEAR
More and more, those who are getting infected are African-American women, says James DeDeaux, executive director of South Mississippi AIDS Task Force in Biloxi. "Unprotected sex accounts for close to 90 percent of Mississippi's HIV disease," Thompson says.
In Mississippi, higher percentages of black residents are being diagnosed with AIDS for reasons that are compelling and, sometimes, subtle, Gay says.
"Risk-taking behavior is higher than it is among the white population. That's probably because of poverty," she says. "Also, there are some genetic mutations that cause people to be less susceptible to getting the virus, and those are found mostly in people of European descent.
"And, although, I have no scientific basis for this, I have a suspicion that, in Mississippi, we have more whites who are infected than we can count. They go elsewhere for treatment because they have the resources and prefer to remain anonymous here."
No matter their race, remaining anonymous is important to some because of the stigma that clings to AIDS. The fear.
It is an unjustified fear, health officials says.
"The bottom line is that HIV is transmitted by blood-to-blood contact or sexual fluids," Gay says.
"It's more difficult to contract AIDS than many of the other viruses. Hepatitis B, for instance.
"As for children, people say: 'What about biting, kissing, eating after them?'
"All of those are not documented modes of transmission. It's conceivable that you can get it by touching someone's infected blood, but it's not likely.
"If you were to take blood from an infected child and accidentally stick yourself with the needle, the chance of contracting the disease is less than half of 1 percent."
Still, there are parents who fear backlash, DeDeaux says.
"Although it's against the law to discriminate against someone with a disability, I think it's going to take a lot of years before this disease loses its stigma.
"It took people who were alcoholics or drug addicts a long time to get to the point that, when they admitted it in public, the response became: 'OK, at least you're doing something about it.'"
In some cases, shame will goad families to reject a child diagnosed with AIDS; he or she is adopted or placed in foster care, Thompson says.
It's the stigma of sex. The stigma, or perception, of homosexuality. The stigma of God's punishment for sins.
"The family may not be willing to have an HIV-infected child in their home," Thompson says.
"Or they won't, or can't, provide the treatment necessary to save the child's life because they're using drugs to the extent that they can't pay attention to it.
"Most women giving birth to infected babies are severely involved in drugs and/or alcohol."
EXPELLING THE STIGMA
Considering that most of these infected babies are African American, Thompson believes it's important for black churches to get involved, to exorcise the stigma.
"The influence of the African-American churches in their community is considerable," Thompson says.
"There is an existing tension between public health prevention methods and some religious beliefs. However, the African-American community is becoming more involved, and leading that involvement has been a handful of very progressive and responsive African-American churches."
Many churches today have health-care ministries, says the Rev. Hosea Hines, pastor of College Hill Baptist Church in Jackson.
"These ministries certainly play a significant part in intervention because they inform and educate the church constituencies on many health issues."
But the prejudice persists, says Shirley Hopkins Davis, president of the local A.M.E. Women's Missionary Society in Jackson.
"Some people don't want to be around it," says Davis, whose organization has focused on HIV/AIDS education and prevention.
"We found that's the main reason some people are homeless.
"The church has a very important role in educating the people about AIDS. Our church doesn't have a problem discussing with the children about sexual behavior. We're also teaching them about AIDS and how they can get it and how to prevent getting it.
"And, since the number of African-American women with AIDS is on the rise, we're still trying to make them understand that their lifestyle contributes to whether they get this disease."
There is some good news about AIDS in Mississippi.
"Mississippi has a long history of proactive HIV screening," Thompson says. The effort hinges on cooperation among private and public clinics, the state Health Department and UMC's pediatric infectious diseases clinic, he says.
"The result is that only 13 percent of Mississippians who are determined to be HIV positive subsequently develop an AIDS-defining illness within one year.
"The national figures are between 30 and 40 percent, meaning that Mississippi is doing an excellent job of locating people with HIV disease."