HIV/AIDS IS A GROWING CONCERN FOR MINORITIES IN KANSAS
World AIDS Day is December 1

HIV disease has a significantly greater impact on minorities in Kansas when compared to the state population as a whole. As of December 31, 2002, the proportion of newly identified HIV positive individuals who are African American was over four times higher than their proportion in the Kansas population. The proportion of Hispanics with newly identified HIV positive cases was more than two and one half times higher than their proportion in the population.

Among women, the problems are even more pronounced. From 2000 to 2003 the number of female HIV/AIDS cases has increased 89.6% from 29 cases to 55 cases, while the total number of HIV cases in the state has only increased 23.1% from 160 cases to 197 cases.

In 2002, black females represented six percent of the female population in Kansas, yet they accounted for more than one-third of all reported HIV cases among women. In 2002, 54% of the cases of newly diagnosed disease in women were minorities, with Hispanic women accounting for 29% (7) and African American women accounting for 25% (6) of the newly diagnosed cases. One year of data and small numbers do not provide statistical significance, but through June 30, 2004, of newly diagnosed Kansas women since 1999, 18% were Hispanic and 37% were African American with all minority cases combined representing over 50% of women.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Region VII, Office on Women's Health and the HIV-AIDS Regional Resource Coordinator are planning a " Pass It Forward," HIV/AIDS campaign.

This event is designed to reach young women and girls with information about HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day is focusing this year on young women and girls.

The Kansas City event will be held at the Bruce R. Watkins Heritage Center from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and is by invitation only.

The purpose of the events is three-fold:

1. To provide young women and girls with correct HIV/AIDS prevention information.
2. To increase the participants' knowledge of the HIV/AIDS prevention models.
3. To strengthen their self-esteem and to clarify their values.

This will be accomplished by engaging the students in activities and dialog that will increase their knowledge of the HIV/AIDS prevention models. The students will have the opportunity to move through a continuum of exercises/conversations that will demonstrate their understanding of responsible behavior regarding the prevention of HIV/AIDS and STDs as well s an increased knowledge of how to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and STDs.

During the event, girls selected from Kansas and Missouri will also have the opportunity to create linkages with local public health officials as well as benefit from presentations by Josephine Robinson, Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Gina Brown, Director of Health for Cicatelli and Associates, Inc. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment will be represented by Bridgitt Mitchell, Minority Health Liaison, and Kathy Donner, HIV Prevention Director.

HIV/AIDS Testing

On the eve of World AIDS Day, December 1, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment urges Kansans who are at risk for HIV/AIDS to be tested.

"It's estimated that every year in the U.S. 40,000 people become infected with HIV which, statistically speaking, would indicate a few hundred people a year in Kansas are becoming infected with HIV," said Karl Milhon, Director of Policy and Planning for the Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Prevention. "Many Kansans are waiting until they get sick before getting tested for HIV, thus reducing the possibility for medications to be effective, and increasing the possibility of unknowingly infecting someone else," said Milhon. "Typically untreated individuals take approximately 10 years after infection to develop AIDS."

Rapid Testing Available

KDHE began incorporating HIV rapid testing into its HIV Prevention interventions starting July 1. The HIV/STD program awarded seven sites with "enhanced" HIV testing grants (2-Kansas City, 3- Wichita, 1-Topeka, and 1-Garden City). The change provides an innovative HIV test, in addition to standard testing procedures, that allows for preliminary test results in as little as twenty minutes.

The incorporation of HIV rapid testing is designed to enhance HIV testing efforts by more closely linking HIV testing with HIV prevention interventions and Ryan White case management activities. The department's multi-step approach allows the program to continue to provide HIV testing access within 75 miles of all Kansas citizens and enable our programs to take testing technology to the populations at risk in association with outreach prevention and other activities such as testing partners to people already diagnosed with HIV. The advantage of taking testing to populations at risk for contracting HIV is the ability to find the disease there rather than waiting for someone to come in to a specific site for testing.

Counseling and Testing Sites

Everyone engaging in risky behavior for HIV infection is encouraged to be tested in a physician's office, local health department, or community-based organization that provides HIV testing. According to the CDC there are between 850,000 and 950,000 Americans now living with HIV/AIDS, yet between 180,000 to 280,000 are unaware of their HIV infection.

People who are at risk for HIV can get tested at one of more than 80 sites in the state or by contacting our regional HIV Prevention and Case Management contractors. Contact your local health department, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment HIV/STD Section at 785-296-6174 or information on public testing sites can be accessed through our website at http://www.kdheks.gov/hiv/. A downloadable statewide HIV/STD resource guide can also be accessed through the Web site.

Kansas HIV/AIDS Statistics

For the last three years Kansas accounted for roughly 0.5% of the HIV/AIDS cases reported nationally. It is estimated there are between 900 and 1,400 people living in Kansas that are unaware of their HIV infection. Additionally concerning is the number of HIV infected patients who are waiting to be tested until serious illness raises their concern for infection.

At the end of 2002, 931 individuals were presumed to be living in Kansas and infected with HIV and 1,003 individuals in Kansas had AIDS, according to the Reportable Infection Diseases 2002 Summary. Of the 931 HIV cases, 82 were new HIV cases in 2002, and of the 1,003 AIDS cases, 55 were new in 2002.

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