HIV/AIDS Disproportionately Affecting Blacks in Charlotte
Abstract
According to the Mecklenburg County Health Department, 76 percent of HIV/AIDS cases seen in 2010 were African American, with whites and Hispanics a distant second and third at 16 percent and 7 percent, respectively. Dr. Susan Reif, a researcher for Duke University, notes that the African-American community is disproportionately affected throughout Mecklenburg County, with multiple problems such as access to healthcare after diagnosis. Explains Reif, individuals in North Carolina do not have the same Medicaid coverage for HIV as those in northeast states.
Another issue is housing— patients cannot maintain their medications if they do not have stable housing. Reif also noted that focus groups with individuals who are HIV positive talked about the Charlotte area being worse in terms of the stigma they felt living there compared with other places. Charlotte ranks #10 in the rate of new HIV diagnosis cases in metropolitan cities of any size in the United States, sharing the top 10 with larger cities, such as Miami, Atlanta, and New York City.
Source
http://www.wbtv.com
Date of Publication
10/18/2012
Author
Christine Nelson
Article Type
General media
Article Category
Local and Community News
Disclaimer: NPIN provides this information as a public service only. The views and information provided about the materials, funding opportunities, and organizations do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, or NPIN.
