Tuesday, March 19, 2024

What Is The Hiv Rate In Atlanta

Key Points: Hiv Diagnoses

Atlanta HIV/AIDS Epidemic worse than third world African countries!

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men b are the population most affected by HIV in the U.S.:

  • MSM accounted for 69% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States.c
  • From 2015 through 2019 in the United States and 6 dependent areas, Black/African American MSM accounted for more than 36% and White MSM accounted for more than 30% of HIV diagnoses among MSM annually.
  • In 2019, Black/African American MSM accounted for 26% of new HIV diagnoses and 37.9% of diagnoses among all MSM.
  • In 2019, Hispanic/Latinod MSM made up 22% of new HIV diagnoses and 32.5% of diagnosis among all MSM.

The number of HIV diagnoses decreased among MSM overall, but trends varied by race/ethnicity. From 2015 through 2019:

  • Among MSM aged 1324 years, HIV diagnoses decreased or were stable among all racial/ethnic groups.
  • HIV diagnoses increased among American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander MSM, ages 24 and older.

Transgender people accounted for approximately 2% of new HIV diagnoses in 2019.

  • From 2015 through 2019 in the United States and 6 dependent areas, the number of diagnoses of HIV infection for transgender adults and adolescents increased.
  • In 2019, among transgender adults and adolescents, the largest percentage of diagnoses of HIV infections was for transgender male-to-female people.

Blacks/African Americans and Hispanics/Latinx continue to be severely and disproportionately affected by HIV:

Eligibility For Ryan White Services

In order to receive services in Fulton County Board of Healths Ryan White Program, clients must meet eligibility criteria every 6 months which include:

  • Positive HIV serostatus
  • Proof of income no greater than 400% of the federal poverty level. Examples of proof of income include:
  • Paycheck stubs
  • A notarized statement or letter verifying income
  • W2 forms, Public Assistance letters
  • Unemployment checks and/or Social Security Awards
  • Proof of Residency within the following counties: Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton. Examples of proof of residency include:
  • Copy of utility, cable TV or phone bill
  • Copy of lease/mortgage agreement

New Report Shows Alarming Hiv Rate Among Trans Women In Atlanta

Overall, 42 percent of transgender women surveyed in seven major metro areas have HIV. The results of the study are even more startling when it comes to Black transgender women. Some 62 percent have HIV compared to 35 percent of Hispanic trans women and 17 percent of white trans women.

In addition to transgender women being disproportionately impacted by HIV especially in Atlanta 63 percent of the women surveyed lived at or below the poverty level, 42 percent experienced homelessness in the last 12 months and nearly 54 percent experienced verbal abuse or harassment in the last year.

Healthcare providers in Atlanta who work with transgender women said they arent surprised by the report. They said it shows the impact of the marginalization transgender women face and the need for culturally competent care.;

We dont have gender-affirming facilities and processes for folks trying to receive services, said Justine Ingram, a capacity-building assistance specialist at the Southern AIDS Coalition and program manager for Trans Housing Atlanta Program.

That negatively affects them and pushes people to go into survival mode and continue to be marginalized and makes it difficult for them to get jobs and continue their education, to find stable and affordable housing. That makes the risk even greater for transgender women, Ingram added.

Graphic: Georgia Leads Us In Hiv Rates Report Shows

Georgia leads the United States in HIV rates for adults and adolescents, according to a report.

In 2016, Georgias HIV rate for adults and adolescents was 31.8 per 100,000 people, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Georgia was the only state with a rate higher than 30.

 

The report ranked three cities in metro Atlanta as the metropolitan area with the fourth-highest HIV rate in the United States.HIV, which stands for human immunodeficiency virus, destroys cells that are important to fight diseases and infections, according to the CDC. There is no cure, but HIV can be controlled.

Along with the CDC, some Atlanta-based organizations are helping to spread awareness of HIV and decrease the stigma.

One of those organizations AID Atlanta offers free STI testing onsite on weekdays, according to its website. March 20 will be National Native HIV/Awareness Day, and there will be many other awareness days throughout the year that will focus on other populations.

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We Are Reaching Teens Who Are Not Yet Sexually Active To Try To Get Them To Adopt Good Habitssays Patrick Sullivan Rollins Professor Of Epidemiology

Why does Atlanta (and Georgia) have such a high HIV rate ...

Overcoming stigma

Getting high-risk men to go in for testing has long been a high hurdle. Some just dont realize HIV is still such a threat. Others may be in denial. And many do not want to be linked to homosexuality or bisexuality, IV drug use, or an HIV diagnosis.

There is tremendous stigma in many black communities around being gay or bisexual or having HIV, says Patrick Sullivan, the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Epidemiology at Rollins and director of the schools Programs, Research, and Innovation in Sexual Minority Health . Some of this is wrapped up in religion and in concepts of masculinity. We did a study about perceptions of stigma around being gay, and white men reported feeling less stigma associated with their sexuality than black men.;

One of Armstrongs patients had moved out of his mothers house to keep her from finding out about his HIV status. Hes been staying in transient housing, dealing with bedbugs and fleas. He said if he were to tell his mom of his diagnosis, hes afraid it would kill her, she says.;

To overcome obstacles to getting tested, Emory and its partners have been working to make HIV testing routine and free in a variety of sites. Grady Memorial Hospital began opt-out HIV testing in its emergency roomyou check a box if you dont want to be tested. This testing often results in one to two new diagnoses a day and has since been expanded to 13 sites, including primary care and neighborhood clinics.;

Streamlining the process

Cdc: Hiv Rates In Atlanta Now Officially An Epidemic

‘Downtown Atlanta is as bad as Zimbabwe.’

Health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday that Atlanta remains in an HIV/AIDS health crisis and ranks fourth in the nation for new HIV diagnoses,;WSBTV reports.

In fact, the HIV/AIDS epidemic was so rampant, that in 2016 it was likened to a third world country.

Downtown Atlanta is as bad as Zimbabwe or Harare or Durban , Dr.;Carlos del Rio, the co-director for the Emory Center for AIDS research,;said in 2016.At issue is the limited funding and that is part of what causes the epidemic continues to spread.

Thankfully Atlanta has superstar activists like Daniel Driffin who recently launched The Spot, a free, LGBTQ-friendly HIV testing site that will provide LGBTQ healthcare referrals and sexual health information.

The SPOT was created to be a new solution of quality care for LGBTQIA folks who are not always comfortable at our traditional service providing agencies, said Daniel Driffin,; HIV activist and co-founder of Thrive SS.;

Why Is The Hiv Rate Higher In Atlanta Rather Than

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Data Illuminates Racial Inequities

The CDCs data this year highlights an ongoing trend that appears to worsen each year: the STD burden is not equal within our cities. While we are seeing increases in STDs overall across many groups, the STD burden continued to hit minority racial and ethnic groups the hardest. The fact that many of the highest-ranking cities in our study have a higher percentage of minority residents also appears to reflect this trend.

Based on CDC data, STD rates were:

  • 5-8 times higher for African Americans or Black people than for non-Hispanic White people
  • 3-5 times higher for American Indians, Native Alaskans, and Native Hawaiians than for non-Hispanic White people
  • 1-2 times higher for Hispanic or Latino people than for non-Hispanic white people

Experts such as the CDCs Jo Valentine, Director of the Office of Health Equity, point to systemic inequalities that lead to lower access to health and testing and subsequently poorer health outcomes.

Focusing on hard-hit populations is critical to reducing disparities, said Valentine. To effectively reduce these disparities, the social, cultural, and economic conditions that make it more difficult for some populations to stay healthy must be addressed. These include poverty, unstable housing, drug use, lack of medical insurance or regular medical provider, and high burden of STDs in some communities.

Georgia Near The Top In Hiv Risk New Report Shows

Hiv/Aids in Atlanta, why so high?

A new analysis underscores the enormous challenges that Georgia faces in fighting HIV.

The state ranks No. 3 in;HIV risk in the U.S., trailing only Ohio and Nevada, according to;the study from Health Testing Centers, which used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Georgia has the leading rate of new diagnoses among states, with 30 per 100,000 people. Only Washington, D.C., has a higher new diagnosis figure.

The analysis showed that seven of the 10 states with the highest HIV risk are in the South.

Thats not surprising, said;Dr. Wendy Armstrong of Emory University, medical director of the Infectious Disease Program at Grady Health System. The South typically ranks as the worst region for HIV diagnoses in such reports, she said.

Armstrong cited factors such as a social stigma surrounding people with HIV, and the fact that several Southern states have declined to expand their Medicaid programs, which would give health coverage to more low-income people.

Other barriers in the region, she said, include poverty, lack of access to health care, lower levels of funding than other areas and a shortage of personnel who can provide the necessary help to HIV patients.

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, a disease that has killed millions around the world. Much progress has been made in keeping patients alive by thwarting the development of the full-scale disease, but a key to anti-HIV strategy is preventing new infections.

Dont Touch Me Im Pregnant

Research by Sullivan, Sanchez and their colleagues found that in Atlanta, young black MSMs experience a significantly higher incidence of HIV than their white peers. But thats not because of more reckless behavior or greater promiscuity. Instead,;the racial disparity is linked solely to health insurance status and the partner pool, the network of people an individual is likely to have sex with.

Travis Sanchez

Among participants in the study, fewer black MSMs had health insurance than did their white peers, and having coverage affects access to broader STI testing as well as to HIV prevention services. The black MSMs were also more likely to have sexual partners who were themselves black MSMs. Because HIV is already so prevalent in this partner pool, the network of HIV transmission is strengthened with each interaction, Sanchez explains.

Sullivan, Sanchez and their colleagues suggest that in the fight to reduce HIV in Atlanta, there has been too much focus on behavioral interventions, such as getting individuals to use condoms and practice safer sex. These things are important, but the experts propose a shift of emphasis toward larger-scale biomedical interventions, such as promotion of HIV testing for at-risk youth as young as 15, as well as improving linkage to care.

Most immediately, D says, public health campaigns at clubs and restaurants need to be smarter and more explicit to get people in the gay black community to take action to protect their health.

Hiv And Gay And Bisexual Men

Gay, bisexual, and other men who reported male-to-male sexual contacta,b;are disproportionately affected;by HIV. Social and structural issuessuch as HIV stigma, homophobia, discrimination, poverty, and limited access to high-quality health careinfluence health outcomes and continue to drive inequities. Get the latest data on HIV among gay and bisexual men and find out how CDC is making a difference.

In New Offensive Against Hiv Metro Atlanta Is A Battleground

The map of the United States shows four blue dots clustered in northern Georgia. They represent the metro Atlanta counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Cobb.

Its not exactly surprising that the four the most populous in our state are among 48 counties in the nation that the Trump administration is targeting for its plan to stop the spread of HIV.

President Trump announced the plan in his State of the Union address last week.

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, a disease that has killed millions around the world. Much progress has been made in keeping patients alive by thwarting the development of the full-scale disease, but a key to anti-HIV strategy is preventing new infections.

Georgia is the No. 1 state in rates of new infections, and metro Atlanta is No. 3 among metropolitan areas, says Dr. Wendy Armstrong of Emory University, and medical director of the Infectious Disease Program at Grady Health System. Gradys Ponce de Leon Center, which provides HIV services, has 6,200;active;patients, and the number is rising, Armstrong says.

Del Rio

We have a huge epidemic, a lot of new infections, says Dr. Carlos del Rio, chair;of the Department of Global Health and professor of epidemiology at Emorys Rollins School of Public Health.

We were in the state of inertia in the fight against HIV, adds del Rio, also professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory School of Medicine. ;Hopefully will light a fire.

Ponce de Leon Center

Driffin

Cities Show Movement In Our Rankings

HIV & AIDS in Atlanta

Numerous cities saw significant movement upward with higher infection rates, including:

  • Washington, DC rose 12 spots from 17 5
  • Knoxville, TN rose 17 spots from 26 9
  • New Orleans, LA rose 13 spots from 24 11
  • Jacksonville, FL rose 15 spots from 38 23
  • Albany, NY rose 15 spots from 68 53

It wasnt all bad news; some cities bucked the national trend with improved STD rates. For instance, Milwaukee, WI and Indianapolis, IN both moved out of the Top 10, though they remain among the Top 25 cities.

Other cities infection rates improved dramatically, such as:

  • Shreveport, LA improved 12 spots from 9 21
  • Denver, CO improved 13 spots from 19 32
  • Richmond, VA improved 12 spots from 32 44
  • Portland, OR improved 15 spots from 73 88
  • Omaha, NE improved 13 spots from 79 92

Prep Use Low Among Atlanta Trans Women

Georgia already faces one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the U.S. The new CDC report showed that the issue is even more acute among transgender women in metro Atlanta:;

Atlanta had the second-lowest rate of HIV testing for transgender women among the seven cities 78 percent, compared to 82 percent overall. Only Seattle had a testing rate lower than Atlanta at 61 percent.;

; Transgender women without HIV are aware of PrEP at a higher rate than most other major cities. Some 92 percent of trans women are aware of the once-a-day pill to help prevent HIV, which matches the overall rate in the report. Only Philadelphia and San Francisco had higher PrEP awareness than Atlanta.

In Atlanta, PrEP usage among trans women without HIV was among the lowest seen in the report. Overall, 32 percent said they use PrEP. In Atlanta, its 23 percent, which is second-lowest only to Seattle . The highest PrEP usage is in San Francisco .

Some 67 percent of trans women without HIV in the study are taking hormones for gender affirmation. Concern about drug interactions between the hormones and PrEP could impact its usage, according to the CDC.

The low use of PrEP among transgender women in Atlanta is also driven by a variety of factors that also impact the higher rates of HIV seen across the South, according to Joel Rosenstock, medical director of AbsoluteCare Atlanta.

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What Cdc Is Doing

a;The term;male-to-male sexual contact;is used in CDC surveillance systems. It indicates a behavior that transmits HIV infection, not how individuals self-identify in terms of their sexuality. This web content uses the term;gay and bisexual men;to represent gay, bisexual, and other men who reported male-to-male sexual contact.b;Unless otherwise noted, data in this web content are for adults and adolescents aged 13 and older.

  • CDC.;HIV testing experience before HIV diagnosis among men who have sex with men21 jurisdictions, United States, 20072013.;MMWR;2016;65:999-1003.
  • Clark HA, Oraka E, DiNenno EA, et al. Men who have sex with men who have not previously tested for HIV: Results from the MSM testing initiative, United States . AIDS Behav 2019;23:359-65. PubMed abstractexternal icon.
  • Kwan CK, Rose CE, Brooks JT, Marks G, Sionean C. HIV testing among men at risk for acquiring HIV infection before and after the 2006 CDC recommendations.;Public Health Rep;2016;131:311-9.;PubMed abstractexternal icon.
  • Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.

    Whats The Hiv Rate In The State Of Georgia

    GRAPHIC: Georgia Leads US In HIV Rates, Report Shows. In 2016, Georgias HIV rate for adults and adolescents was 31.8 per 100,000 people, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Georgia was the only state with a rate higher than 30. Workbook: HIV infections in the U.S. An unexpected error occurred.

    Characteristics Of Study Population

    HIV Hot Spots: The areas in metro Atlanta the disease has taken a grip.

    The population living in the 391 census tracts included in this study had the following median demographic characteristics: age, 32.7;years , 29.935.7); family size, 2.7 ; 36% were African American; and 45% Caucasian; 25.1% have completed high school. The median percent of Hispanics living in the census tracts was less than 0.001%.

    HIV cases in the metro area were predominately male and African-American with Caucasians being the largest racial minority . Only 4% of cases from all races were ethnically Hispanic. Men who have sex with men were the largest exposure category followed by IV drug users . A large number of cases had an unreported exposure category .

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