Academy Study on HIV-Positive Asian New Yorkers to be Released May 18 at Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

NEW YORK CITY, May 17 ??? Asians and Pacific Islanders living with HIV/AIDS in New York City are more likely to experience HIV testing delays than other New Yorkers and are more likely to suffer from high levels of mental distress, according to a report by The New York Academy of Medicine to be released tomorrow, May 18.

The new report, “Looking for a Place to Call Home,” will be launched at an event hosted by the New York University Medical Center to commemorate the third annual National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This event will take place on Friday, May 18, from 1-4 p.m. in Schwartz Lecture Hall E at NYU Medical Center, 550 First Avenue. Experts from the Academy and other institutions will discuss the latest research affecting the Asian and Pacific Islander (A/PI) population in New York City, and the newest A/PI comprehensive HIV/AIDS community health center.

Asians and Pacific Islanders (A/PIs) are one of the fastest-growing ethnic/racial populations in the United States, and those living with HIV/AIDS face a number of problems stemming from not only the illness itself but also from community stigmas, language and cultural barriers, and immigration-related difficulties, according to John Chin, PhD, lead author of the new Academy report and a Senior Researcher in the Academy’s Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies.

The Academy’s study was one of the largest of A/PI Americans living with HIV/AIDS to date, and yielded some alarming results. Thirty-six percent of A/PI participants told researchers that they had major medical problems when first receiving HIV medical care, compared to 21 percent for a representative sample of New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. This suggests that A/PIs face delays in getting tested for HIV and entering into care.

Interviews conducted during the study also showed that many participants have experienced extreme social isolation, because they fear disclosing their HIV/AIDS status due to the stigma surrounding the disease. This social isolation appears to have had significant negative mental health consequences, with tests suggesting a very high level of mental distress among A/PIs living with HIV/AIDS in New York. Despite having high levels of mental distress, many participants were reluctant to seek formal mental health services.

The report also finds that undocumented A/PI immigrants living with HIV/AIDS have experienced negative economic and social consequences as a result of their immigration status. Most undocumented participants expressed a strong desire to have their status legalized and expressed frustration at the lack of availability of legal services or opportunities for legalization. Often these immigrants fear not being able to return to the United States if they visit their countries of origin, and are often separated from family on a long-term basis, which only leads to increased mental distress.

“We hope that this study brings higher visibility to the plight of A/PI Americans living with HIV/AIDS, so they can receive the necessary adequate care,” Chin said. “There is already a substantial population of A/PIs living with HIV/AIDS in the United States that need care, and this population only continues to grow. It is imperative to understand how to meet the existing need and to prepare to meet expanding needs.” According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of A/PIs living with AIDS in this country has climbed by more than 10 percent in each of the last 5 years.

The study involved 35 qualitative interviews and 89 quantitative surveys with HIV-positive Asians and Pacific Islanders. Data collection occurred from January 2005 through July 2005. The report was done in collaboration with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and New York Presbyterian Hospital, and funded with a grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau, with the support of the HIV Health and Human Services Planning Council, through the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Medical and Health Research Association of New York City, Inc.

National API HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is on Saturday, May 19. For more information please visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services http://www.omhrc.gov/hivaidsobservances/api/.

Founded in 1847, The New York Academy of Medicine is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit institution whose mission is to enhance the health of the public. Our research, education, community engagement, and evidence-based advocacy seeks to improve the health of people living in cities, especially disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. The impact of these initiatives reaches into neighborhoods in New York City, across the country, and around the world. We work with community based organizations, academic institutions, corporations, the media, and government to catalyze and contribute to changes that promote health. Visit us online at www.nyam.org.

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-by Michelle Ray

Posted on May 17, 2007

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