HIV/AIDS in Asian and Pacific Islander Communities in the U.S.: A Review, Analysis, and Integration

Abstract

In the United States, HIV/AIDS is invisible in Asian and Pacific Islander (A/PI) communities even though it has affected them since 1981. As the AIDS crisis enters its second decade, A/PI communities continue to face a classic Catch-22: They receive modest, if any, funding for services, education, or research because there are relatively few reported Asian AIDS cases, but no one can financially, socially, and ethically afford to wait for an explosion of HIV infection in these communities. This article, using the AIDS Risk Reduction Model (ARRM) as an organizing framework, reviews, analyzes, and integrates the current state of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors associated with HIV/AIDS among Asians and Pacific Islanders. Implications for community health education programs and future directions for research are discussed.