There are 87 Indigenous ethnic groups in Colombia, representing 3.4% of the country’s
population. Poverty, forced displacement, and social and health inequities place Indigenous
communities at increased risk of HIV/AIDS. However, little is known about the prevalence of
HIV in this population. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of HIV and
other sexually transmitted infections in an Indigenous community in Colombia, and to assess
community members’ knowledge about the disease and its risk factors. The study, conducted in
2010, was initiated at the request of the leadership of the community of Cristianía and involved
community members in all stages of the project. HIV prevalence data were gathered through
rapid testing of a random sample of 295 community members between the ages of 15 and 49
years. As well, researchers administered a survey related to sexual behaviours and knowledge
about HIV. Findings revealed 3 cases of HIV, a prevalence of 1.02%, 95% CI [0.21, 2.94]. The 3
cases were women. The majority of individuals sampled had heard of HIV or AIDS, but their
level of knowledge about the mechanisms of virus transmission varied substantially. The results
of this study, the first to explore the prevalence of HIV among Indigenous people within a
community in Colombia, suggest a need to investigate HIV prevalence within other Indigenous
communities in Colombia.