HealthLinksSC.com | 83 and gender disparities in prevalence rates that reflect the national numbers. Cases have remained steady among men and have increased among African Americans. While race and ethnicity are not a risk factor for HIV – men who have unprotected sex with men is the predominant risk factor – the disease does disproportionally affect Black populations. African Americans had a 2.3 times higher case rate of HIV than whites in South Carolina in 2020-21, despite comprising significantly less of the state’s population – 26.3% to 68.9%. Part of the explanation for the gender gap is that men don’t seek health care as often as women. Additionally, there are barriers to access to care for African American men, especially those living in rural areas. “Testing is not always equal across the state,” stated Price. To help address this inequity, among other things, DHEC began offering an HIV Home Testing program. Another challenge is overcoming the stigma associated with AIDS in the African American community, which can deter individuals from seeking treatment and services. The Latino community has also been difficult to reach with HIV prevention and care. To combat the problem, DHEC has been working with community health centers and its county-based partners in a collaborative effort to normalize HIV testing, make it a standardized part of health care and reduce the stigma. Moreover, a round of federal funding made available through the national Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative was recently used in South Carolina to initiate five mobile HIV/AIDS testing centers that travel to rural communities as well as to expand HIV testing into retail pharmacies. To further these goals of improving access to HIV care, Leigh Oden, DHEC’s Ryan White Part B administration manager, said DHEC has disbursed Ryan White HIV/AIDS program funds in support of prevention efforts to ensure that clients can access care quickly. It funded linkage to care coordinators and peer
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1