Georgia is one of the leading states showing an increase in cases .
HELLO! IS ANYONE LISTENING?
The HIV/AIDS health crisis is still with us, especially in Georgia, And for Black people, the numbers are alarming, according to national statistics by the Center for Diseases Center (CDC). This is NOT the time to return to the days of “free love” of the 1960s with unprotected sex.
Officials of AIDS Atlanta and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation met recently with members of the Atlanta news media for assistance in getting the word out about the rising number of HIV cases among Black people in Atlanta and Georgia.
Joining Georgia on the list of the nation’s highest HIV infection rates are Florida, Nevada, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. And do you know what else these states have in common? They are all run by Republican governors who have refused to expand Medicaid.
The expansion of Medicaid is critical in fighting the rising HIV rates, according to AIDS Atlanta Executive Director Nicole Roebuck-Warner.
“Unfortunately, some states are carrying the heaviest burden of HIV,” she said, “several southern states did not expand Medicaid. All of those things are adding to this perfect storm. Leadership matters.”
HIV rates had their biggest drop during the COVID-19 crisis in 2019-2020. The rates shot back up to pre-pandemic levels in 2021 and continued to increase.
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Between 2014-2022, HIV diagnosis rates were higher among Black/African American men and cisgender men compared to other groups. Rates are also increasing in Hispanic/Latino populations but decreasing or remaining low in other groups, reports the CDC.
In 2021, there were 59,422 persons living with HIV in Georgia. The 20-county Atlanta metro area had the third-highest rate of new HIV diagnoses among U.S. metro areas, with 1,562 new cases and a rate of 25.4 new diagnoses per 100,000 people. One report had metro Atlanta having the highest rate of HIV per any metro area in the world.
In examining the HIV rates for Atlanta and Georgia provided by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, as of 2022, there are 41,394 Black Georgians living with HIV. The highest figure, 28,620, live within the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta area. Fulton is next with 11,721 residents, followed by DeKalb County, Cobb County, and Gwinnett County. (See chart.)
Unfortunately, the statistics show that the HIV rates of Black women in Georgia have been increasing since the pandemic, and the majority of those women live in metro Atlanta.
HIV rates of Black women are 11.4 times higher than white women. Those rates are also increasing for women in Georgia who are living in poverty. Statewide, 10,928 black females are living with HIV.
In metro Atlanta, among Black women aged 13 and up, the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta metro area ranked at the top with 6,602 people diagnosed with living with HIV, followed by Fulton County 2,124, DeKalb 1,500, Gwinnett 627 and with Cobb 529. AIDS officials believe these numbers have increased since 2022.
So why is Atlanta and Georgia at the top of the list of the nation’s HIV/AIDS rates? Roebuck-Warner explains several factors. Let’s start with Gov. Brian Kemp not expanding Medicaid.
“Unfortunately, Georgia is a state that lacks access for all to basic healthcare, which can then add to issues of finding healthcare for HIV, and that includes screening, testing services, treatment, and care,” she explained. “Fortunately, in Atlanta, there are funding resources to fill the gap for uninsured people.”
Not cited by the AIDS officials at the roundtable is Atlanta, known for some years as the unofficial “Black Gay Capitol” of the United States, a title which used to be held by New York City. The city has attracted members of the LGBTQ community because it served HIV/AIDS; AIDS Atlanta has been around for four decades; and the city’s tolerant attitude, which is solely missing in many cities and towns across the country.
Also, there are younger generations who did not experience the early years of HIV/AIDS when the death rate was high for those affected by the disease. It took several years before a “cocktail” of drugs was developed to fight the illness. That cocktail has been reduced to at least two drugs, and now, with the proper care, people are living far longer and healthier lives. The drug APREPTUDE is the most popular medication.
Reversing the numbers
People need more education and knowledge about how serious the HIV/AIDS crisis is still in Georgia and metro Atlanta and who it impacts, Roebuck-Warner said.
The impact of HIV/AIDS should be a constant reminder of the disease’s impact via social media and traditional media, schools, and churches. More importantly, she adds, “We need to vote for people who are going to have our best interests at heart and who will ensure there is equitable access to healthcare not just for those living with HIV/AIDS but anyone with a chronic condition.”
(For those seeking more information about HIV/AIDS, contact AIDS Atlanta ( www.aidsatlanta.org ) at 404-870-7741; AIDS Healthcare Foundation ( aidshealth.org ) 470-283-7349. AHF Healthcare Center, 735 Piedmont Ave., NE. 404-588-4680)
In today's age sex and sexual orientation is a common thing to "feel something". Feminism and ungodliness have harboured these actions as well as abortion. But one can not abort HIV or AIDS. Choose your sexual partners wisely and always wear protection.
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