March 21, 2008

Experts Say Silence Around Race, Poverty Boosts U.S. HIV Rates

The nation’s hesitation to talk about issues relating to race and poverty is contributing to rising rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, in the United States, three top health experts write in a Washington Post editorial (washingtonpost.com, 3/21).

The essay, “An Epidemic No One Wants to Talk About,” was written by Robert E. Fullilove, associate dean of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health; Adaora A. Adimora, an associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Peter Leone, medical director of the HIV/STD Prevention and Care Branch of the North Carolina Division of Public Health.

According to the writers, “conversations about sexual behavior, race and sexually transmitted infections remain taboo,” and the avoidance of such discussions will lead to higher infection rates. They highlight issues such as the fact that women in poor African-American communities have a heightened risk for contracting STIs, even though studies have shown that they engage in low levels of risk behaviors.

“Where you live and choose sexual partners has an enormous impact on your risk, particularly if it is in a community with high incarceration rates,” they write. “If we are unable to engage in a national dialogue about the sexual health of our youths and the social dynamics that drive STDs, this epidemic will go largely ignored, and many more lives will be lost.”

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