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 Posteditorial (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.”
NEW! Scroll down to comment on this story.
Please click OK to confirm your comment and confirm you accept our posting rules. Note your message will be reviewed by our staff before going live.
Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
Woman of the Month is supported by exclusive advertising from Gilead.
Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I recently met a guy who is negative. I did tell him about my status and he decided to kiss me anyway (we didn't go further than that). But a day later, he called and said that he actually had a mouth ulcer that time when we kissed and he was very worried. Asked if he can get the virus from me that way. For that moment, I felt so insulted and yet I felt so bad. It was my first time having a contact with a "negative" guy."
