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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.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit:
http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
