June 14, 2017 BY imani leave a comment
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of new HIV diagnoses declined in the United States by 19 percent from 2005 to 2014. With increased funding, targeted prevention efforts and better treatment options, the country as a whole seems to have loosened the grip of the epidemic. However many southern areas are reporting a drastically different narrative.
There are many areas in the southern United States where the numbers of cases have not declined and even more where increases have been reported. In Prince George’s County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., the number of new HIV infections increased from 2014 to 2015, according to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In fact, Prince George’s County leads the state in the number of new HIV diagnoses, having surpassed Baltimore City in 2013.
The public health crisis in Prince George’s County reflects a much broader trend in the United States. Southern states have the highest rates of new HIV-positive diagnoses, the highest percentage of people living with HIV and the lowest rates of survival for those who are HIV-positive. Nearly 52 percent of all new diagnoses of HIV in 2015 occurred in southern states, even though only 37 percent of the U.S. population lives in the South.
In many areas, HIV is concentrated in urban areas, but in the South, larger proportions of those newly diagnosed are living in smaller metropolitan, suburban and rural areas – places like Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; Columbia, South Carolina; and Lowndes County, Alabama.
The South suffers from disproportionate rates of concentrated poverty and many times access to healthcare is a burden for members of these communities. Stigma and discrimination has also lead to people being afraid to get tested or seek treatment for fear that someone may find out they have HIV. However, time, support and effective health treatment options are of the essence when it comes to new a new HIV diagnosis. MASS hosts FREE CONFIDENTIAL testing events throughout the Hampton Road metropolitan area and can assist with transitional housing, food donations, counseling and assistance finding a health care provider if you do test positive and preventative care options to keep you negative if you do not.
Transformative actions need to occur in order to make a positive impact on the devastating effects HIV has had in the South. MASS is working with you on the front lines to advocate and educate as we continue to create access for those in need.