Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders

Updated May 2005

In 2003, 497 Asian-American and Pacific Islanders were diagnosed with AIDS and a total of 7,166 AIDS cases have been reported since the beginning of the epidemic.⁴ HIV/AIDS remains unmentioned and unacknowledged for many Asian-American and Pacific Islanders populations, due to community attitudes of shame towards HIV risk factors such as drug use, sexuality, and sexual practice. Socioeconomic factors such as immigration status and racial and ethnic discrimination also serve as obstacles to accessing proper health care. In addition, linguistic barriers and community stigmas surrounding HIV/AIDS amongst Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders further the lack of communicable knowledge regarding HIV prevention and education. The following organizations and publications specifically address HIV/AIDS in Asian-American and Pacific Islander populations and serve as valuable resources for contextualizing HIV/AIDS issues that arise in this community.

Organizations

AIDS Services in Asian American Communities

www.asiac.org

ASIAC is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing culturally sensitive and language appropriate HIV-related services to Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders and their partners, friends, family members, and service providers.

Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
www.apiahf.org

APIAHF is a national advocacy organization dedicated to promoting policy, program, and research efforts to improve the health and well being of Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities. This website provides a good overview of policy updates and current issues in Asian and Pacific Islander health. Programs include Asian and Pacific Islander HIV Capacity Building Assistance and Health Information Network.

Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS (APICHA)

www.apicha.org

APICHA is a non-profit organization providing HIV/AIDS related services, education, and research to Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in New York City. This website contains information on many of their recent projects, as well as a 54-page informative guide intended to help clients answer questions about living with HIV/AIDS. The Navigator guide is available in eight languages and can be downloaded at www.apicha.org/apicha/pages/publications/index.htm.

Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center

www.apiwellness.org

The goal of this center is to educate, support, empower and advocate for Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities particularly APIs living with, or at-risk for HIV/AIDS. Site includes a Clinician's Guide to Working with Asians and Pacific Islanders Living with HIV, a great resource that addresses basic cultural challenges presented by A&PI patients living with HIV. This guide can be downloaded at www.apiwellness.org/v20/physician/physunder.html.

Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team (APAIT)

www.apaitonline.org

APAIT, based in Southern California, is one of the nation's largest providers of HIV/AIDS prevention and care services for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. APAIT programs include advocacy, preventative and interventional care and services, and community development and research (CDR).

Publications

Chng CL, Wong FY, Park RJ, Edberg MC, Lai DS "A model for understanding sexual health among Asian American/Pacific Islander men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States." AIDS Educ Prev. 2003 Feb; 15(1 Suppl A): 21-38.

Choi K, Yep GA, Kumakawa E. "HIV prevention among Asian and Pacific Islander men who have sex with men: a critical review of theoretical models and directions for future research." AIDS Educ Prev. 10: supp. A (1998): 19-30

Wat, E. 1970-Making of a Gay Asian Community: An Oral History of Pre-AIDS Los Angeles. Rowman & Littlefield. 2002.

Wilson PA, Yoshikawa H. "Experiences of and responses to social discrimination among Asian and Pacific Islander gay men: their relationship to HIV risk." AIDS Educ Prev. 2004 Feb; 16(1): 68-83.

Yoshioka MR, Schustack A. "Disclosure of HIV status: cultural issues of Asian patients." AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2001 Feb 15(2): 77-82.

⁴ Center for Disease Control Prevention. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report 2003. 15(12;Table 3).