Memphis ranks second in the nation in highest number of new HIV cases

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County is topping the charts, but not in a positive way.

A report from the Health Department ranks the Memphis area as second in the nation for the highest number of new HIV cases.

Now, some Democratic lawmakers are fighting back by asking for the state’s help in curbing the uptick.

More than 7,500 people in Shelby County are living with HIV and AIDS.

That’s not just the most in the state, it’s the second most in the country only behind Miami.

“This was an acknowledgment that no, we are not in a good place and there needs to be an all-hands-on-deck approach in order to mitigate this particular STI,” said Shelby County Representative London Lamar.

That’s why Lamar along with 16 Democratic lawmakers are trying to turn that statistic around.

“We can do a better job on the state level with how we handle this issue, not only for Memphis, but what we do here is also impacting everything statewide,” Lamar said. “So, it is the responsibility of the state level to do more and help curb this epidemic that we’re seeing in the city.”

In a letter to the Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Ralph Alvarado, the lawmakers ask several questions, including the impact of legislation that requires minors to receive parental consent before testing for HIV.

According to statistics from the Shelby County Health Department, new HIV cases in the 15-24 age bracket are five times higher here than in the rest of the country.

“HIV is a lifelong disease, there isn’t an official cure out there for people. People are still dying from this disease,” Lamar said. “And knowing that teens are the ones who are getting it at a higher rate than anybody else means that their whole life is going to be impacted.”

The letter also addressed concerns over the allocation of federal funding to HIV and STI prevention programs, public health initiatives and community engagement, especially for young people.

“We have to talk about it,” Lamar said. “We have to get over that (mindset) that bible belt and that abstinence-based education is going to work. It is not and has not been working.”

Rep. Lamar told WREG that they have not yet received any response to the letter and she said she’s not confident that when that response comes, it will align with what they’re fighting for.

This is why she urges people to consider these concerns when heading to the polls. She vows to continue this fight until it’s no longer a concern in Shelby County.

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