HIV/AIDS in the Southeastern U.S.

The southern United States is a region both famous for fried chicken, sweet tea, and a slow pace of life, yet notorious for its religious conservatism and a history of slavery and segregation. The South has gained another reputation in the past few years, however, that is not so widely known: it is quickly becoming the center of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States.
One reason why AIDS prevalence in the south has gone unnoticed for so long is that the average southerner doesn’t think the epidemic can affect them. Most associate HIV with large urban cities, like New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, places that don’t have much in common with small southern towns. They also still see AIDS as a “gay disease” and are generally uneducated about HIV and what it means to be HIV+.
The southern region of the United States, as defined by the US Census Bureau, includes 16 states and the District of Columbia. The Deep South represents a group of six southern states (Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and North Carolina) that are disproportionately affected by the AIDS epidemic. From 2000-2003, CDC estimates show a 35% increase in new reported AIDS cases in the Deep South, but only a 5.2% increase nationally. The Deep South also has some of the highest AIDS death rates in the country.
Other health indicators, such as measures of diabetes prevalence, stroke rate, heart disease deaths, infant mortality and preterm births also show high mortality rates in the Deep South. Furthermore, the Deep South also has very high levels of STD infection. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported that in 2002, the five states with the highest rates of gonorrhea were all in the Deep South; these states also had high rates of chlamydia and syphilis. STD prevalence is of particular importance because the presence of an STD facilitates HIV transmission.
Since its discovery, HIV has disproportionately attacked socially marginalized groups, starting with the gay community and spreading to the poor and disenfranchised. Deep South states generally have higher poverty rates than other regions. Poverty contributes HIV/AIDS rates because individuals do not have access to health education or preventative services and cannot afford treatment. Poverty has also been associated with drug use, which can lead to HIV transmission through the sharing of needles.
The south also experiences a large number of rural HIV/AIDS cases. The 1995 US Census estimated that 43% of people living in the south live in rural areas. In rural areas it is often hard to find nearby healthcare, and many patients won’t or can’t get to services. This leads to late diagnosis and unintentional infection of others.
Nearly 80% of new AIDS cases in the South are among African Americans. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is concentrated in poor communities, where African Americans are disproportionately represented. This is particularly true in the Deep South, where populations are approximately 30% Black, compared to the 18.5% in other southern states. Overall, 25% of African Americans live in poverty and are 1.5 times more likely than Whites to lack health insurance. Medical and social service barriers for African Americans are not uncommon in the rural South, and access to HIV medication and care is no exception. Many African Americans feel distrust and anger towards the healthcare system due to historical oppression and enduring medical inequalities. This has led to conspiracy theories that are believed by even the most educated and has created barriers for HIV prevention.
HIV prevalence in the Deep South cannot be studied without a look at historical and cultural factors as well. Many people often blame the lack of medical professionals and poor access to healthcare for the South’s high HIV rates, yet the South is just as rural as the Midwest and does not have fewer health providers than other rural areas. The southern “culture of politeness” prevents discussion of topics that are deemed offensive, such as sex and homosexuality. Religious conservatism also contributes to the spread of HIV by affecting education. Many schools teach abstinence-only curriculums and don’t provide information about other forms of protection, putting youth at risk for infection. Religious conservatism is also associated with close-mindedness, which increases the perceived HIV stigma.
In the end it is important to consider all possible causes of AIDS prevalence in the Deep South states in order to provide more effective preventative and treatment services to everyone who is afflicted by HIV.



Sources:
Adams B. Polite to a Fault? HIV Plus.com May 2003; http://www.hivplusmag.com/column.asp?id=49&categoryid=1.
Adams B. The South Has Risen. HIV Plus.com May 2003; http://www.hivplusmag.com/column.asp?id=48&categoryid=1.
CDC. Fact Sheet: HIV/AIDS Among African Americans. Feb 2006. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/aa/resources/factsheets/aa.htm.
Reif S, Geonnotti KL, Whetten K. HIV Infection and AIDS in the Deep South. Am J Public Health 2006; 96: 970-973.
Whetten, K, Nguyen, T. You’re the first one I’ve told: new faces of HIV in the South. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.