What is the rate of HIV in the Dominican Republic?

Answer 1

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) reports that some urban areas of the Dominican Republic have HIV/AIDS infection rates well in excess of 10%. In some parts of the Dominican Republic, HIV/AIDS has become one of the leading cause of death among teenagers and adults between 15-49 years old. Adult women living with HIV/AIDS are estimated at 23,000. HIV prevalence in pregnant women had been relatively stable for a number of years. However, 2005 sentinel surveillance reported HIV prevalence of more than 4.5 percent in pregnant women at two sites. In 2006, sentinel surveillance of pregnant women of all ages reported seroprevalence of 3.4 percent at four sites and 5.9 percent at one site. However, in the Santo Domingo National District, antenatal clinics have noted a decline in prevalence, probably because of a successful prevention campaign.

HIV/AIDS was first reported in the Dominican Republic in 1983 and continued spreading until the mid-1990s, when prevalence started to decrease. However, due to sex tourism, child sex tourism, and prostitution in tourism industry workers, spread of the epidemic began to increase again. Heterosexual intercourse reportedly the primary form of transmission of the disease, accounting for 81 percent of HIV infections in 15- to 44-year-olds of both sexes. However, because of strong stigma against homosexuality, it is possible that the number of infections resulting from men having sex with men, or male child prostitutes, may be higher than listed or may simply go unreported.

National response

The Government of the Dominican Republic has responded aggressively to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Established in 2000, the Presidential Council on AIDS (COPRESIDA) coordinates the HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS and STDs 2007-2015. COPRESIDA's activities include implementing public policies, providing care for those living with HIV/AIDS, promoting private sector involvement in response to the epidemic, and reducing stigma and discrimination (S&D). The Ministry of Health (MOH) implements HIV/AIDS services and diagnostic tests in the public sector. The National AIDS Program (NAP) develops HIV/AIDS-related norms, protocols, and surveillance.

National-level government-directed activities include the following:

Conducting information, education, and communication campaigns Coordinating care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) Reducing mother-to-child transmission Ensuring blood supply safety Monitoring and evaluating national and provincial health plans Distributing condoms to at-risk individuals Since 1995, an AIDS law has made it illegal to discriminate against PLWHA. The law is unique for the region; however, enforcement is uneven and inconsistent, and S&D against PLWHA and those engaging in behaviors putting them most at risk for HIV/AIDS are common.

The government works with a number of international donors to combat HIV/AIDS, including the William J. Clinton Foundation, UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund, the World Bank, andthe Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria. In 2004, the Dominican Republic received a second-round grant from the Global Fund to scale up HIV services throughout the country, with particular focus on vulnerable groups, including female sex workers, MSM, and migrants. With Global Fund support, the government also intends to scale up ART.