A disease such as AIDS is define as “a biological health problem that is objective and universal” (this definition is from the Cultural Anthropology textbook by Barbara Miller, Penny Van Esteik and John Van Esterik)
Data shows that aboriginal are being infected with HIV at a younger age than non aboriginal people. One the major causes or key “modes of transmission” is through the injection of drugs. Out of 16 244 cases of HIV, 509 were repoted to be aboriginal peoples. It is important to not that aboriginal peoples includes First Nations, Inuit and Metis. The Aboriginal peoples in Canada, over the last few years, are showing a steady rise in the proportion of reported AIDS and positive HIV tests.
The article states that these communities are affected by high rates of poverty, sexually transmitted infections and limited access to use of health care services. I would say that this is a form of structural suffering, since is it a human health problem caused by economic problems and poverty.
The number of cases related to injecting drug use has increased from 8.8% before 1992 to 30.1 % between the years of 1992-1996 and 54.1 between the years 1997-2002.
http://hiv-aids-poz.com/posters/HIV-Hands-Grabbing-T-Shirt-Design.gif (picture)
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