The United States Department of Health and Human Services says native Hawaiians are 2.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV - compared to Caucasians.
And researchers at the University of Hawaii's School of Medicine have discovered that HIV-infected native Hawaiians are three times more likely to be hospitalised.
The director of the Hawaii Center for AIDS, Dr Cecilia Shikuma, says it is very important to find out why this is the case.
Poverty and lack of information or education may be factors in the disparity.
