Study Unacculturated Hispanics at Higher HIV Risk

On the eve of World AIDS Day, a new UCLA study suggests that Hispanics in the United States who display lower levels of adaptation to American culture are more likely to test positive for HIV, and have low levels of access to health care.

The study, conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles's Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, surveyed 600 Hispanics recruited from Los Angeles County sexually transmitted disease clinics, community-based organizations and needle-exchange programs.

Full findings are reported in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.

According to a UCLA news release, the researchers "found that those with low levels of acculturation -- meaning adaptation to American culture -- had fewer HIV tests and no hepatitis C tests, were more likely to test positive for HIV, and had low levels of access to health care."

The findings suggest the need for interventions that account for the cultural and behavioral differences among Hispanics, a group disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. Statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in 2006 indicate that while Hispanics constitute about 14% of the population of the United States, they account for 22% of news HIV and AIDS cases.