High Prevalence of Hiv and Syphilis in a Remote Native Community of the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

Little data are available on how HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) affect indigenous people in Latin America, including Peru. We conducted a sero-epidemiologic survey of HIV infection and syphilis in a native community, the Chayahuita, an indigenous population in the Amazon region of Peru. The seroprevalences of HIV and syphilis in adults were 7.5% (6 of 80) and 6.3% (5 of 80), respectively. None of the participants had ever used a condom. Male to male sexual behavior was common. At the current levels of HIV prevalence, there is the risk of a negative impact on the survival of the Chayahuita ethnic group as a whole. The outcomes of this study highlight the need for urgent medical and anthropologic approaches to stop HIV transmission in indigenous Amazonian communities.

Sexually transmitted infections in Pakistan

“…Syphilis infection has reached alarming rates (13.8%-19.5%) in China 12. In the Peruvian Amazon, it was 6.3% 13. Different studies have reported the prevalence of active syphilis as follows, 9% in Northwestern Tanzania, 1.8% in China, 4% in South Africa and 0.2% in South Korea 14–17.…”

Relevant ethical consideration in research with indigenous people in Peru

“…The research findings by Zavaleta et al (2007) tend to stigmatize the studied community with respect to homosexual behaviors, early initiation of sexual activity and polygamy, and the high frequency of syphilis and HIV in Chayahuitaes. However, these results may not be representative of the whole community, as the number of study participants was only 162, which is 0.78 % of the total Chayahuita population of 20,540 inhabitants (Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática and Fondo de Población de las Naciones Unidas 2010).…”

“…To the Editor: The letter by Zavaleta et al (2016) challenges our opinion (Minaya and Roque 2015) referring to ethical weaknesses of their research (Zavaleta et al 2007). They considered that the ethics requirements were fulfilled under the authorization of the Ministry of Health of Peru, the approval of the ethics committee of the Cayetano Heredia University, and the consent of the Chayahuita community leader.…”

“…We welcome this opportunity to discuss the ethical issues that should be respected particularly in indigenous communities. We recognize the value of their research (Zavaleta et al 2007); however, once a public health issue has been identified, it is essential that researchers suggest possible solutions to address the identified problem.…”

“…The indigenous community studied by Zavaleta et al (2007), which calls itself the 'Shawi' or 'Chayahuitaes,' is located in the Loreto region of Peru, and its population data is publicly available (Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática and Fondo de Población de las Naciones Unidas 2010). The research findings by Zavaleta et al (2007) tend to stigmatize the studied community with respect to homosexual behaviors, early initiation of sexual activity and polygamy, and the high frequency of syphilis and HIV in Chayahuitaes.…”