Healthwatch

Race May Be Relevant In Development Of HIV

BALTIMORE (WJZ) ― Could your race make you more likely to develop the virus that causes AIDS?

Healthwatch reporter Kellye Lynn says shocking new research finds African-Americans may be more susceptible to HIV because of a trait in their genes.

It's a wake up call for the 40 million Americans whose ancestry is linked to Africa.

"It's very surprising.  I've never heard anything like this before," said Sande Okelo.

Medical researchers now say race is relevant in the development of HIV.

"What they showed is there is a genetic difference in African-Americans and Africans that do make that race more susceptible to HIV infection," said Dr. John Bartlett with Johns Hopkins Medicine.

The study of more than 1,200 military workers finds African-Americans have a genetic trait that protects against a form of malaria, but increases the risk of HIV.

Dr. Bartlett says the research offers valuable insight.

"We've been puzzled by the fact that there has been so much AIDS in the African-American community," he said.

While African-Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, they account for nearly half of HIV and AIDS cases.

For years, researchers have been trying to understand why some people who are repeatedly exposed to HIV, don't get infected.  These findings provide an answer.

The scientists discovered the genetic trait is found in 60 percent of African-Americans and 90 percent of Africans, boosting the risk of infection by 40 percent.

"You've got to be more careful in protecting yourself," said Latoya Peaton.

One interesting finding is that people with HIV who have this genetic trait appear to live on average two years longer than HIV positive people who don't have the trait. 

The trait could be responsible for 11 percent of the HIV cases in Africa, which has been hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic.  

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