March 31, 2009

Most South Carolina HIV Patients Not in Care

Only 35 percent of people who know they are HIV positive in South Carolina are consistently receiving medical care, according to a study published in AIDS Clinical Care and reported by Journal Watch.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that roughly half of people with HIV in the United States are not receiving medical care. The agency also believes that about half of those not receiving care don’t even know their HIV status.

To explore these national statistics in the context of statewide realities, Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, from Harvard Medical School in Boston focused on the utilization of HIV care services in South Carolina, a state with one of the most comprehensive HIV/AIDS reporting systems in America. Among the 13,042 people with a confirmed HIV diagnosis included in the analysis, only 35 percent were consistently receiving care over time. The patients most likely to be receiving only intermittent care—or no care at all—were more likely to be white, male and younger than 45.

This new estimate—with fully 65 percent not receiving consistent care—is particularly concerning, Walensky said, as it does not include people with HIV in South Carolina who don’t know their status.

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Previous Comments:

Billy, Orangeburg, 2009-04-07 09:14:15
The person who left the message about pay back, I will pray for you. Only a person with that type of mentality would think such a thing. This disease has shown that it is bigger than any of that and we should move forward. As a person who is both a client and a staff member at my ASO, I see no difference in the treatment of clients no matter what their color is. What I have found is that stigma in the south has kept all of us from seeking the help that we need. So let’s stop the blame game.

douglas, Columbia, 2009-04-05 09:08:27
Jeff, The emphasis in SC is on black females. I saw it every time I tried to work with the ASO's. Whites could get service but they are the minority and are treated like a minority. It is as though it was payback for racism.

jeff, outerreaches of kansas, 2009-04-03 07:42:40
What a superficial story. How about some more content? This story needs to explain why people are not getting help. The ending implies that white males are being racially separated for service. i find this hard to believe without some more data. does this mean that black females get the best treatment?