Suzanne K Whitmore | PubMed Health

PubMed2005

The integrated epidemiologic profile: using multiple data sources in developing profiles to inform HIV prevention and care planning.

HIV/AIDS epidemiologic profiles describe the HIV/AIDS epidemic among state and local populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources Services Administration collaborated to develop one set of guidelines for developing epidemiologic profiles that would serve as the basis for both prevention and care planning. The Integrated Guidelines for Developing Epidemiologic Profiles was published in 2003. Profiles based on these guidelines describe the epidemic in terms of sociodemographic, geographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics and should include enough data sources (e.g., sexually transmitted disease, tuberculosis, behavioral, and care-related data) to allow users to make informed, evidenced-based decisions. Development and use of these epidemiologic profiles should lead to more effective prevention and care planning and contribute to objective measures of the impact and outcomes of programs, supported by both federal agencies.

Data Collection↗

PubMed2005

Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS among non-Hispanic black women in the United States.

BACKGROUND: HIV/AIDS has emerged as a persistent health threat to black women in the United States. For the past decade, HIV disease has been among the top 10 leading causes of death for this population. METHODS: We analyzed national HIV surveillance data from 29 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting that have conducted integrated HIV/AIDS surveillance since at least 1998. We also analyzed AIDS surveillance data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. RESULTS: In 2002, black women represented 14% of all women in the 29 states whose HIV data were analyzed but 72.3% of annual HIV infection diagnoses among women. In that same year, black women were diagnosed with HIV infection at a rate of 68.7 per 100,000, approximately 23 times the rate for white women (three per 100,000) and four times that for Hispanic women (17.2 per 100,000). Likewise, in 2002, black women represented 13% of all women in the 50 states and the District of Columbia but an estimated 67.8% of new AIDS diagnoses among women. In that same year, black women were diagnosed with AIDS at a rate of 48 per 100,000, approximately 23 times the rate for white women (2.1 per 100,000) and more than four times that for Hispanic women (10.6 per 100,000), CONCLUSIONS: Because black women are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, effective strategies are needed to prevent new HIV infections, to detect HIV infections early and to assure adequate treatment for black women who are infected with HIV.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗