82 | HealthLinksSC.com Although obstacles remain, there has been a lot of promising news and statistics surrounding HIV/AIDS in the last decade or so. Annual HIV infections in the United States have decreased by more than two-thirds since the height of the epidemic in the mid-1980s, according to hiv.gov. Breakthrough medications are helping patients with HIV/AIDS experience a better quality of life, and they live longer than every before. In South Carolina, newly-diagnosed HIV cases have seen a slight decrease over the past decade, from 1,500 new cases in 2010-11 to 1,460 in 2020-21. While there have been some fluctuations, “it’s been fairly constant,” said Tony Price, prevention program manager with the state Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Division of STD, HIV and Viral Hepatitis. However, Price elaborated that community-based HIV programs have led to increased access to testing and services, meaning a higher number of cases are being identified and reported than in previous decades. Mirroring the national trend, HIV mortality rates are down in the state as well, with deaths seeing an overall decline in the past two decades-plus since 1997. Prior to the 2000s, in the early stages of the AIDS epidemic, deaths were on the rise. “We now have an aging population living with HIV/AIDS,” noted Price. “Previously, you didn’t see people living into their 50s and 60s with the disease. The good news is, people are living longer, healthier lives.” Women in particular have seen a decrease in newly-diagnosed HIV cases within the past 10 years, experiencing a decline of 28%. But the news regarding newly-diagnosed cases isn’t all positive. GENDER AND RACIAL DISPARITIES – OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO CARE While many of the state’s overall HIV statistics compared to a decade or more ago are encouraging, there are wide racial BRIGHTER OUTLOOK FOR HIV PATIENTS By Colin McCandless RACIAL AND GENDER DISPARITIES REMAIN A CONCERN
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