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Atlanta ranks third in new HIV infections nationwide, CDC data shows

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ATLANTA - The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's most recent data 
on new cases of HIV paints a startling picture of an ongoing health crisis 
in the Southeast. 

Metro Atlanta ranked third behind Memphis and Miami for the highest number 
of new cases with more than 1,500 reported in 2021.  

"We’ve seen that HIV is growing in the south and Atlanta has some of the 
highest numbers in the south," said Jeff Cheek, Fulton County’s director 
of HIV Elimination. 

New cases accounted for more than half of the 2,371 reported in Georgia in 
2021.  

Cheek pointed to stigmas around the virus and access to care as ongoing 
issues contributing to those high numbers. 

"We do not have good health coverage for anyone—not just those with HIV 
disease and so that’s why it’s so important for us to look at Medicaid 
expansion to see what we can do to help people," he explained. 

For Thrive Atlanta co-founder Larry Scott-Walker, the numbers were 
disturbing, but didn’t come as much of a shock. 

"I am jarred by it, I am saddened by it but also motivated… my work is 
fueled by that…it’s not surprising given the fact that Georgia is one of 
10 states who didn’t expand Medicaid," he stated. 

Scott-Walker, who received his HIV diagnosis in 2007, said he helped found 
Thrive with the goal of meeting the needs of patients in Georgia and 
across the country where access to resources is limited.  

"We wanted to do something that centered Black culture that centered Black 
queer men…raising our rates of undetectability in our communities…having 
stigma reducing conversations with our friends," he said. 

He told FOX 5 they’ve taken those conversations to the nation's capitol, 
lobbying for improvements in the healthcare system. 

While Cheek said the numbers were concerning, he also mentioned that his 
office has observed an increase in individuals taking medications needed 
to slow the spread of the virus. 

"We’ve had a six percent increase in the number of people that are getting 
in and getting suppressed, and so we’re moving the needle in the right 
direction," he said. 

Scott-Walker said they plan to continue advocating at the state and 
national levels for Medicaid expansion. 

For more information on how to get connected with resources in metro 
Atlanta, click here. 

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/atlanta-ranks-third-in-new-hiv-
infections-nationwide-cdc-data-shows

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Atlanta ranks third in new HIV infections nationwide, CDC data shows useapen <yourdime@outlook.com> - 2024-04-02 07:13 +0000

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