Title: The HIV / AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean.

POPLINE Document Number: 314775

Corporate Author(s):

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Source citation:

Menlo Park, California, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2007 Jan. [2] p. (HIV / AIDS Policy Fact Sheet)

Abstract:

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has had a profound impact on the Caribbean region, the second-most affected region in the world, after sub-Saharan Africa, and the most affected in the Americas. AIDS is a leading cause of death among 15-44 year-olds in the region. Within the region, the epidemic varies significantly by country and population, reflecting the Caribbean's cultural, ethnic, and geographic diversity. Many of the countries in the region have adult HIV/AIDS prevalence rates (the percent of people living with HIV/AIDS) of at least 1%, the highest rates in the world outside of sub-Saharan Africa; countries with prevalence rates greater than 1% are considered to have generalized epidemics. Half of all people living with HIV/AIDS in the region are women, and young people--especially young women--are at particular risk. Factors that exacerbate HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and complicate the region's response to the epidemic include poverty, unemployment, stigma, discrimination, and gender inequalities. (excerpt)

Keywords:

Caribbean
Critique
Persons Living With HIV/AIDS
Health Policy
Foreign Aid
HIV Infections
Prevalence
Antiretroviral Therapy
Program Accessibility
Stigma
Inequalities
Americas
Developing Countries
Viral Diseases
Diseases
Policy
Political Factors
Sociocultural Factors
Financial Activities
Economic Factors
Measurement
Research Methodology
HIV
Program Evaluation
Programs
Organization and Administration
Social Problems
Socioeconomic Factors