Thursday, August 7, 2008

Inaccurate Puerto Rico data in AIDS study

Latino health advocates have blasted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recent study on AIDS for excluding Puerto Ricans on the island as Hispanics. The CDC’s decision also leaves out Latinos living in overseas territories from being accurately counted. According to one source, the number of Latino AIDS cases jumps from 17.3% to 22% when island-based Puerto Ricans are counted.

The CDC’s inaccurate count of Latinos with AIDS in the U.S. has several serious consequences like affecting public finding in HIV/AIDS prevention. The lack of precise information in the AIDS report also creates confusion for a community where it can be difficult to have proper health care.

Unfortunately, it has been worrying to see the delays by the CDC in releasing a report showing a 40% increase in estimated AIDS cases in the U.S. These problems are shameful as the International AIDS conference continues in Mexico.

As the head of the Latino Commission on AIDS observed:

"The decision to exclude Puerto Ricans from the Hispanic incidence analysis is perplexing. The CDC made a positive step forward in its original decision to include Hispanics, but has subsequently taken two steps back by again excluding Puerto Ricans from the Hispanic incidence rates. We will never have accurate estimate of HIV incidence in the Hispanic community if this discrimination continues", said Dennis deLeon, President of the Latino Commission on AIDS.

Image- AFP (“Activists and delegates hold a protest against HIV policies of many governments.”)

Sources- El Diario La Prensa, International Herald Tribune, FOX Business, New York Times

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Puerto Rico is not part of the US, that is why it is not included in the US Census. It is a self governing island(commonwealth or associate free state) associated under a free association compact with the US since 1952, with it's own national identity (nationality)and symbols.

Rosa
San Juan,Puerto Rico

Erwin C. said...

Rosa-

Puerto Rico is indeed a commonwealth ("estado libre asociado") of the U.S. as you say. Yet to inaccurately count the percentage of Latinos with AIDS hurts when it comes down to identifying high-risk groups that sorely need funds for prevention/treatment.