If you ask most people of South Asian descent (especially those with immigrant parents), you’ll hear that sex was not a casual topic. Many of my friends, myself in included, with this background hardy got any sexual education at home. I was “lucky” enough to be told the general purpose of a condom – birth control – and that a Plan B pill does exist. What I didn’t learn about until later was that condoms also protect against sexually transmitted disease.
This month’s post will focus on HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). In brief, this virus exists in high (contagious) concentrations in blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and breast milk. If HIV is allowed to develop without treatment, the person who has it can get AIDS, a stage of the infection in which the person cannot resist many infections and some cancers. This is not a disease that gets casually transmitted. It’s quite easy to protect yourself against getting HIV, but with low education and awareness, the risk increases. Also, if people don’t know their status, they cannot take measures to protect themselves against HIV by seeking antiretroviral treatment (ART) or other therapies.
This month’s post will focus on HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). In brief, this virus exists in high (contagious) concentrations in blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and breast milk. If HIV is allowed to develop without treatment, the person who has it can get AIDS, a stage of the infection in which the person cannot resist many infections and some cancers. This is not a disease that gets casually transmitted. It’s quite easy to protect yourself against getting HIV, but with low education and awareness, the risk increases. Also, if people don’t know their status, they cannot take measures to protect themselves against HIV by seeking antiretroviral treatment (ART) or other therapies.
So, how prevalent is HIV in South Asian populations? Usually South Asians are grouped into the “Asian American/Pacific Islander” category in research, so we will look at that group. One paper reports that 1% of HIV cases in America occur in Asian populations, but also notes that some states classify Asians in the “Other” category. This may indicate underreporting of the disease. However, this low percentage should not decrease concern about HIV! We should strive to keep these numbers low, so that it is easier to prevent transmission.
For Asians in America, the CDC reports that HIV is predominately spread through men who have sex with men (MSM). For the women, heterosexual sex is the main way it’s spread. We don’t have complete data about occurrence and transmission because not everyone gets tested. As the aforementioned CDC factsheet states, “HIV testing is an important consideration for Asians and Pacific Islanders. Testing rates are lower for Asians and Pacific Islanders as a group, despite their risk factors for HIV infection. Data from an HIV testing survey in Seattle indicated that of the Asians and Pacific Islanders surveyed, 90% perceived themselves at some risk for HIV infection yet only 47% had been tested during the past year. Also, CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System found that Asians and Pacific Islanders are significantly less likely than members of other races/ethnicities to report having been tested for HIV.”
For many, a huge barrier to testing is stigma, not access (find a location near you to get tested here). When people hear someone has HIV they immediately assume they’ve done something wrong - that it’s their fault for not using protection or reusing needles. On top of that, based on my experience in the South Asian community, homosexuality is not easily discussed. This may serve as a barrier for those in the MSM community, some of whom may think getting tested is an admission of their orientation.
Another issue brought up in the CDC factsheet is that late testing allows more time for the virus to replicate in a person’s body, ultimately decreasing ART’s efficacy in slowing down the onset of AIDS. This is a huge and avoidable problem, and such a shame since ART drugs are getting better and better!
In the end, we shouldn’t judge people on the viruses that may be replicating inside them and those who are at any risk at all, for example those who are not abstinent, should get tested. Why not?
For Asians in America, the CDC reports that HIV is predominately spread through men who have sex with men (MSM). For the women, heterosexual sex is the main way it’s spread. We don’t have complete data about occurrence and transmission because not everyone gets tested. As the aforementioned CDC factsheet states, “HIV testing is an important consideration for Asians and Pacific Islanders. Testing rates are lower for Asians and Pacific Islanders as a group, despite their risk factors for HIV infection. Data from an HIV testing survey in Seattle indicated that of the Asians and Pacific Islanders surveyed, 90% perceived themselves at some risk for HIV infection yet only 47% had been tested during the past year. Also, CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System found that Asians and Pacific Islanders are significantly less likely than members of other races/ethnicities to report having been tested for HIV.”
For many, a huge barrier to testing is stigma, not access (find a location near you to get tested here). When people hear someone has HIV they immediately assume they’ve done something wrong - that it’s their fault for not using protection or reusing needles. On top of that, based on my experience in the South Asian community, homosexuality is not easily discussed. This may serve as a barrier for those in the MSM community, some of whom may think getting tested is an admission of their orientation.
Another issue brought up in the CDC factsheet is that late testing allows more time for the virus to replicate in a person’s body, ultimately decreasing ART’s efficacy in slowing down the onset of AIDS. This is a huge and avoidable problem, and such a shame since ART drugs are getting better and better!
In the end, we shouldn’t judge people on the viruses that may be replicating inside them and those who are at any risk at all, for example those who are not abstinent, should get tested. Why not?