Chemtob D, Srour SF; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 2000 Jul 9-14; 13: abstract no. TuPpC1178.

D. Chemtob, Pierre Koenig 33, POB 1176, Jerusalem, Israel, Tel.: +972-2-6728112, Fax: +972-2-6725568, E-mail: daniel.chemtob@moh.health.gov.il

Daniel Chemtob1, Saher F. Srour21Ministry of Health (MOH) - National TB and AIDS Unit Jerusalem and 2 School of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel. Background: Arab Israeli citizens are the biggest minority group in Israel (20% of the population). HIV/AIDS epidemiological analysis in this so called "traditional society" is important for prioritizing/targeting their health prevention and treatment needs. Methods: HIV/AIDS cases among Israeli Arab citizens notified over the years 1985-98 to the Ministry of Health were analyzed, and the adolescent/adult Arab citizens were compared to other Israelis (excluding immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa and their offspring). Results: Seventeen AIDS cases and 49 HIV+ Arab Israelis were notified (cumulative HIV infection rate = 5.28/100,000), 53 males (80.3%) and 13 females (19.7%). Average age is 30.1 (SD = 12.1). The 63 HIV/AIDS adolescent/adult Arabs constitute only 5.3% of all Israeli cases in these age groups at a time when some 20% of Israeli citizens are Arabs. When comparing between Arab and non-Arab Israelis, the respective distribution of the main modes of transmission are among heterosexuals (27% and 19.2%), intravenous drug users (25.4% and 22%), homo/bisexuals (20.6% and 36.6%), and unknown (15.9% and 14.4%). The time lapse from HIV to AIDS notification is 1.5 years for Arab Israelis compared to almost 2 years for non Arabs. Conclusion: HIV infection is less frequent among Arab Israelis compared to non-Arab Israelis, and patterns of transmission in this minority group probably need further examination. Nevertheless, the shorter interval between HIV and AIDS notification suggests lower use of HIV testing and also diagnosis at a later stage of the HIV infection.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Africa South of the Sahara
• Arabs
• Developing Countries
• Emigration and Immigration
• Female
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Humans
• Israel
• Male
• Research
• transmission

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0001761

UI: 102239254

From Meeting Abstracts