"Alarming” Increase in HIV, Syphilis Cases in Tennessee
Newly diagnosed HIV and syphilis cases have increased significantly in Shelby County, Tennessee, since 2018. Reports of HIV and syphilis cases in Tennessee's Shelby County, which includes Memphis, have surged in recent years, with a 36% increase in HIV rates since 2018 and a 100% increase from 100% in the same period. The most affected individuals are between 14 and 35 years old, according to the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD). Since 2018, HIV rates among those aged 15 and 19 have increased by 40% and a 150% rise in syphilis rates. The county health department is launching an outreach program to bring HIV testing and treatment to communities with the highest rates of HIV. The increase comes less than two years after Republican leadership in the state rejected federal funding to prevent HIV and after the Department of Justice sued Tennessee for enforcing state laws that discriminate against people with HIV.
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In recent years, reported HIV and syphilis cases have surged in Tennessee’s Shelby County, which encompasses Memphis, prompting a response from the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD), reports WREG-TV News Channel 3.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health (THD), since 2018, HIV rates have increased by 36%, and syphilis rates have increased by 100% in Shelby. The individuals most impacted are between 14 and 35 years old, noted the county health department without citing specific figures.
HIV rates among those between ages 15 and 19 increased by 40% during this time. That same age group saw a 150% increase in syphilis rates, according to SCHD.
While the extent of the outbreak has not yet been quantified for the public, last month, the SCHD shared the Shelby County ZIP codes with the highest incidence of sexually transmitted infections.
The ZIP codes most affected were located throughout the greater Memphis area (38103, 38107 and 38109).
To address the “alarming” increase in newly diagnosed HIV cases, SCHD, in partnership with TDH, United Way of Greater Nashville and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is launching an outreach program to bring HIV testing and treatment to communities with the highest rates of HIV.
“Knowing your HIV status is the first step to protecting your health,” said SCHD’s Michelle Taylor, MD, in a news release. “HIV can be successfully suppressed with medications, allowing HIV-positive persons to live long and healthy lives.”
To encourage countywide testing and treatment for HIV and STIs, SCHD offers a full list of locations in Shelby County where folks can get tested for free.
The HIV rate increase arrives less than two years after Republican leadership in the state, including the governor, rejected federal funding to help prevent HIV and after the Department of Justice sued Tennessee for enforcing state laws that discriminate against people with HIV. (Earlier this month, the Shelby County district attorney general agreed to end prosecutions of those discriminatory HIV crime laws).
For other Tennessee news, see “Country Music Gays & HIV,” a POZ Q + A with publicist-turned–country music crooner David Michael.