HIV Infection Among Haitian College Students in the USA

This article discusses the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among Haitian youths living in the United States of America, with a focus on college students. It examines the risk factors, including economic and social status, gender, and knowledge of STIs, and highlights the need for effective intervention programs.

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Name: Venessa Powell-Cooke
Course Title: Humanity 253
Date: November 22,2018
HIV infection among the Haitian college students in the USA
AIDS is described as a chronic condition which is caused by a virus known as human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The cure for HIV/AIDS have4 not been discovered, however,
there are medications which have the potential to slow as well as reduce the progress of the
condition. These medications have reduced deaths due to HIV/AIDS in many countries.
Nevertheless, HIV continues to increase in Haiti, Africa as well as parts of Asia. Empirical
studies have established that over 25 million people have died of HIV/AIDs related health
conditions in the whole world. For instance, according to the reports of UNAIDS, in 2009,
around 2.8 million individuals were newly infected with the condition while around three million
women, men, and children died of HIV/AIDS-related diseases. Currently, around 35 million
individuals are living with the HIV/AIDS. It is key to note that over 26 million individuals have
died due to HIV/AIDS-related illness since 1981 (UNAIDS/WHO). In Africa, there are over 15
million HIV/AIDS orphans. According to UNAIDS/WHO, in the transitional and developing
nations, over 10 million individuals are in dire need of HIV/AIDS drugs, with only 5 million
receiving such drugs. According to UNAIDS and the Population Reference Bureau, Haiti is the
Caribbean nation that is highly affected by HIV/AIDS.
The Dominic Republic as well as Haiti, together account for over three-quarters of
individuals having HIV in Latin America. High prevalence of HIV in Haiti has been attributed to
poverty as well as inadequate access to information and education. The groups who were at risk

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of contracting HIV before 1999s included the soldiers, truck drivers, and their respective partners
as well as people who migrated to the urban areas from the rural areas and the rape victims.
Currently, the epidemic is fueled and generalized by the high rates of illiteracy and endemic
poverty (Xu, and Lucy 10). In 2007, about 121000 individuals were living with HID/AIDS in
Haiti with 6800 being children and 58000 being women aged 15 years and above. According to
the Centers for Disease Control (2002), HIV risk infection among minority groups is one of the
serious challenges presently confronting public health in the USA.empirical studies have shown
that prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the youths is on the rise not only in the sub-Saharan Africa,
the Caribbean countries but also in the entire globe. However, there have been empirical research
studies conducted to investigate the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the Haitian youths
especially those living in the united states of America. In this paper, I will critically evaluate the
prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the Haitian youths. The study will use various literatures to
clearly examine the prevalence of the scourge among the Haitian youths living in the United
states of America.
HIV prevalence in Haiti in Latin America
HIV/AIDS prevalence among the Haitian in the united states of America
About 95 of the infected Haitians are children who are 14 years and below, and 74000 are
women. The number of individuals in 2005 who were living with HIV/AIDS was approximated
to be about 271600 which included over 11700 youths. It is estimated that approximately 33000
people die each year of HIV. The main routes of transmission for HIV include transmission
through mother and a child, sexual transmission, especially by heterosexual transmission.

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However, HIV has currently become feminine with the ratio of male to female shifting to 1:1
from 6:1 in 2002 and 1988 respectively. It should be noted that Haiti has the highest number of
HIV cases in Latin America.
Young people in the united states of America are at high risk of contracting HIV
(Interchange: HIV/AIDS and U.S. History). The HIV risk infection is most notable among the
youth coming from minority ethnicities and races. Therefore, continual prevention education and
outreach efforts for HIV including abstinence programs as well as initiation of sex restriction
should be introduced as old generations are replaced by the new generations who benefitted from
the prevention strategies. In numerous developing nations, most of the HIV infections happen
among individuals who are of the age between 16 and 24.
Moreover, having STDs have placed them at the risk of contracting HIV. Youths
especially college going students are a high risk of HIV infection because most of them are
normally sexually active as well as unmarried. High risk of HIV infection can also be attributed
to behavioral, psychological, social and biological reasons. Psychological factors enable many
youths at enhanced risks for STDs due to their overall sense of vulnerability, the urge to explore
new things, the willingness of taking risks involving changing of sexual partners as well as the
desire to impress their relatives and friends.
Most of the young people do not know that STDs result in behaviors of risk-taking. Thus,
it is very difficult for the youths especially the college going students to use condoms correctly
and consistently when engaging in sex. Moreover, inadequate communication, as well as
negotiations skills in youths to use condoms, is very difficult. Empirical research has shown that
Haitian college students are at risk of HIV infection especially through sexual transmission since

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almost all of them are sexually active (Rahill, Manisha, and Anthony 253). Present
epidemiological data shows that HIV/AIDS affects black Americans as well as the immigrant
black population in the country (Surkan et al. 810).
Moreover, officials from the federal government placed Haitian immigrants in solitary
risk category indicating that that Haitian had higher infection rates as compared to other groups.
More than two decades later, the National Academy of science publication stated that Haiti was
the probable conduit for HIV introduction to the United States of America.
Haitian youth represent one of the groups who are vulnerable to the HIV infection. Even
though the knowledge of HIV transmission is high among the college-going Haitian youths, the
change in behavior has lagged. For instance, epidemiological research has revealed that among
the Haitian college-going youths in the United States of America, HIV transmission is high
especially through sexual transmission. Sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS can be attributed to
the high rate of violence, the fact that almost every youth in the urban areas of the USA do not
live together with their biological parents, drug abuse challenges, inadequate access to health
care services as well as quality education and high rate of poverty levels among the Haitian
community. It is interesting to note that almost all the youths who are not enrolled in schools are
unemployed. Inadequate economic opportunities and the high rate of poverty will affect youths’
decision to have sex with numerous partners or to engage in a transaction or commercial sex.
Most of the Haitian college-going students in the united states of America engage in
transactional sex, forced into prostitution or run for survival or with gangs.
The cultural settings of Haiti

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The political upheavals in Haiti have had a wide-ranging impact on the rate of violence,
with youths and women affected the most. It is estimated that in 2004, over 36000 girls and
women were sexually abused with half of the victims under the age of 18. Political upheavals
have resulted in many Haitian populations migrating from their mother country into other
countries especially North America. The social setting, thus, creates an environment in which
HIV transmission among youths may escalate. A study was conducted which used a total of
13201 Haiti population. The majority of individuals in the sample population were from
Northern (38%) and Southern (61%) part of the united states of America. Trends evaluation in
the research revealed that diagnosis of AIDS within the Haiti born population had increased
especially in the period of 1980s and 1990s, however, the research also showed that diagnosis of
AIDS reduced in 2000s with about 442 diagnoses of AIDS in 2007. The result of the study
shows that Haiti born persons in the country comprised of about 1.2% of the approximated cases
of AIDS among the youths while Haiti born persons account for less than 0.18% of the whole
united states of America population.
HIV risk factors among the Haitian youths living in the united states of America
Education and economics
Economic despair or economic insecurity greatly lead to involvement in dangerous and
harmful sexual behaviors among the Haitian college going students, especially among the girls.
Research has shown that financial constraints and hardships lead to early sex initiations and the
widespread dependence on sexual interactions for monetary support. In a study conducted in the
united states of America, 10% of the females and 16% of the males who engaged in sexual
activities reported having exchanged or given out money for sex. Due to the prevalence of HIV

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among the youths, extensive efforts in the united states of America have been initiated to educate
the minority groups about HIV, how it is transmitted and how it can be avoided.
Nevertheless, there is still inadequate information and data to share with the youths. The
continual following of conventional Vodou belies as well as inadequate education on HIV result
in high HIV infection levels in the country. for instance, a study that was done in the country,
about 50% of the Haitian population believed that HIV is transmitted through supernatural
means as well as by mosquitoes. Inconsistent and incorrect use of condoms (McNairy 10),
engagement of sex at an early age and numerous sexual partners are some of the reasons why
effective and immediate intervention programs should be initiated not only in the united states of
America but also in the Caribbean nations.
Gender
Traditions that do not openly discuss sex issues with women or girls and a belief that
promotes early engagement of sex for boys are some of the factors that have led to increases in
HIV infection among the Haitian youths in the united states of America (Martel and Charles
110). In most developing countries, women and girls are at a higher risk of HIV infection since
they lack power, are forced into marriages and engage in sex at tender ages. It is estimated that
young girls and women who are aged 16 to 19 especially in Africa and Caribbean countries have
4 to 6 times HIV infection as compared to their male counterparts of the same age. World Bank
reports have established that girls are at high risk of HIV infection due to increased cases of
school drop out and unemployment. Among the 16 to 19-year old Haitian youths in the rural and
urban areas in the united states of America, about 8% fewer girls were in schools as compared to
boys of the same. The unemployment rate among female youths is 36% higher as compared to

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their male counterparts, reducing the chances that females have an opportunity and chance for
economic independence and self-sufficiency. Early sex debuts are rampant (Jean et al. 10)
among the youths as especially the Haiti girls in the united states of America.
Social and economic status of the Haiti community in the USA
Internationally and domestically, HIV is a virus that is embedded in the economic and
social inequality as it affects people with lower socioeconomic status at an alarming rate.
Empirical studies of socioeconomic status and HIV/AIDS reveals that an individual’s social and
economic standing can affect his or her probability of being infected with HIV and AIDS
development. Moreover, socioeconomic status is a vital factor in establishing the quality of life
for people after they have been affected by HIV. Social and economic status reveals an
individual standing in the society and is normally evaluated by his or her educational attainment,
income or occupation. Social and economic status is a powerful predictor of health and sickness.
Individuals having lower social and economic status are highly likely to contract as well as
transmit HIV to other people, maybe because they have little knowledge concerning HIV/AIDS,
associate with people who are likely to suffer from HIV/AIDS and are more likely to engage in
drug abuse as well as unprotected and unsafe sex to escape from stress. People are having HIV
and having lower socioeconomic status die early than the people having HIV/AIDS with greater
socioeconomic status due to lack of adequate medical care, expensive antiretroviral drugs and the
subsequently lowered body immunity (Haacker and International Monetary Fund 1).
The socioeconomic status of the Haitian population in the united states of America is
lower as compared to another majority Americans. Therefore, the college-going Haitians are at
risk of HIV infection since they do not have enough money given to them by their parents, they

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engage in transactional and commercial sex to fund their education, they engage in drug abuse.
The fact that most youths from the Haiti population do not stay with their parents have led to an
increase in HIV/AIDS prevalence among the college-going Haiti students. Most of the Haiti
youths lack parental care and guidance especially in sexual engagement and, thus, find
themselves engaging in illicit sex at an early age.
Knowledge of STI and misconception of the Haiti population
According to recent research, it is revealed that a large proportion of Haitian women are
not aware of STIs instead of HIV/AIDS. Among both sexes, youths, individuals from urban and
rural areas and those who do not have formal education were the majority who have not heard of
STIs. Haitians comprehend that HIV can be transmitted through sexual intercourse, yet they are
not cognizant of the fact that STIs are also sexually transmitted. It is key to note that Haitians can
believe that unnatural or supernatural illness cannot be transmitted to another individual. Most
Haitians believe that HIV can infect a person through stepping on the persons saliva, sorcery,
sharing of food, household items, and even chairs. Some even believe that HIV/AIDS cannot be
prevented. Lack of adequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS and other STIs is one of the major factors
leading to increased HIV infection among the youths even for the school going youths. It is
important to note that for HIV/AIDS to reduced, enough and sufficient knowledge must be
disseminated to the public especially those who are at risk of HIV infection (Allen, Bryan, Dany,
Amanda, and Linda 681).
Conclusion
HIV/AID is one of the deadliest diseases in the world. In the united states of America,
HIV infection is prevalent among the minority races and ethnicities as well as the immigrants.

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High risk of HIV infection among such groups can be attributed to low socioeconomic status and
other vital variables. To reduce this scourge among such group especially the college students, a
lot of empirical research must be conducted to understand the whole situation. Since most of the
Haitian college-going students in the united states of America are exposed to quality education,
they are still at risk of HIV infection (Malow, Michele, Jessy, Rhonda, and Angela 130).
Concerted efforts must be employed to find ways of reducing this scourge among them.

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