Socio-Demographic Characteristics of HIV/AIDS Individuals Living and Receiving Care Along the U.S.-Mexico Border Through Five SPNS Demonstration Projects

Abstract The purpose of this study is to provide a description of personal lifestyles and demographic characteristics of 1,200 HIV seropositive individuals who volunteered to participate in a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Initiative conducted in five U.S. demonstration projects located along the U.S.-Mexico border between 2001 and 2004. The results show that HIV/AIDS patients receiving care along the U.S.-Mexico border are predominantly Hispanics (81%) and men who have sex with men (56%). In general, SPNS participants appear to be sociodemographically similar to the general HIV/AIDS population in the U.S. with a few noted exceptions such as age, labor force participation, and variations in mode of transmission by age and gender.