Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1983. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The New York Times - July 29, 1983
Ronald Sullivan
Dr. Sencer also said there was growing evidence that many Haitian AIDS victims should be indentified with the homosexuals and intravenous drug users who represent the disorder's two highest-risk groups.
"There is no reason to continue to stigmatize Haitians at a time when they already face considerable job and housing discrimination," Dr. Sencer said. 31 Haitian Victims in City
He said Haitians accounted for 31 cases, or about 3.5 percent of the 877 cases of AIDS that have been reported in the city. He said in an interview that a significant number of cases listed under the Haitian risk group actually belonged in the AIDS risk groups that involve homosexuals or intravenous drug users, who account for 91 percent of all cases.
The disorder, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, breaks down the body's immune defenses, leaving its victims susceptible to a variety of fatal illnesses.
The removal of Haitians from the city's list of risk groups was a victory for Haitian medical and scientific organizations that insist that Haitians as a group are no more susceptible to AIDS than any other group.
At a news conference earlier this month, a group of Haitian physicians contended that most Haitian AIDS victims had lied when asked whether they were homosexuals or intravenous drug users, because of the strong Haitian taboo against homosexuality and because many of them are illegal aliens and fear that any admission of drug use would jeopardize their remaining in this country. U.S. Center Retains Listing
In Atlanta, Dr. James Curran, the head of the AIDS task force at the Federal Centers for Disease Control, said that Haitians would still be listed as a risk group.
Dr. Curran added, however, that he and Dr. Sencer were "not in conflict" and that he supported any effort by New York City "to remove the excessive stigma and downplay the public hysteria" identified with AIDS risk groups.
Dr. Curran said that while the percentage of Haitians diagnosed as AIDS victims in New York City was small, Haitians represented about half of the 109 cases reported thus far by health officials in Miami, who, he said, have no plans to remove Haitians as a major AIDS risk group there.
New York City health officials report that homosexuals account for 72 percent of all AIDS cases, while intravenous drug users represent 19 percent. The fourth risk group, which represents less than 1 percent, is hemophiliacs, who depend on blood products to survive.
Federal officials estimate there are about 500,000 Haitians in the country, most of them in the New York area. According to Dr. Curran, Haitians represent about 0.3 percent of the population, and nearly 6 percent, or 101, of the 1,902 AIDS cases reported nationally.
"While sexual orientation probably plays a bigger role than we have thus far been aware of, there is still an enormous lack of information why Haitians remain at risk," Dr. Curran said.
Dr. Jean Claude Compas, a physician at the Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn and chairman of the Haitian Coalition on AIDS, said studies conducted here and in Haiti showed that the immunological systems of Haitians were normal.
830729
NYT830704
Copyright © 1983 - The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved. All New York Times articles contained on the AEGiS web site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of The New York Times Company. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. However, you may download articles (one machine readable copy and one print copy per page) for your personal, noncommercial use only.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1983. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1983. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .