According to the Office of Minority Health, African Americans make up the largest group of minorities in need of an organ transplant. The number of organ transplants performed on African Americans in 2009 was less than one fifth, or 20%, of the number of African Americans awaiting transplants. The number of transplants performed on White Americans was 35% of the number currently waiting. In the United States alone, more than 4,000 people die annually while waiting for a kidney, most of which are African Americans who become too sick before a suitable match can be found. Although outreach efforts have increased to encourage African Americans to become organ donors, a recent occurrence in New York may serve to damage the health promotion activities regarding increased donations and transplants.
In New York, an organ recipient recently contracted the virus that causes AIDS from a live kidney donor, a press statement released by the New York State Department of Health said Tuesday. It’s the first documented case of HIV transmission via a transplant from a living donor since a sensitive test screening for the virus was approved and implemented in 1985.
Now, health officials recommend that hospitals test donors for HIV and the hepatitis C and B viruses within 14 days before the organ donation, using nucleic acid testing (NAT). NAT can detect viral infections weeks to months before antibodies are detectable by standard blood tests. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last issued organ donation screening recommendations related to HIV in 1994. –torrance stephens, ph.d.
Torrance Stephens authors the blog rawdawgb.blogspot.com. Find him on twitter.com/rawdawgbuffalo.
