ICYMI: Tampa Bay Communities in Top 30 for New HIV Cases

CLEARWATER, FL — Miami has the highest rate of HIV diagnosis in metropolitan areas across the country, but several communities in the Tampa Bay area are also represented in a Top 30 ranking released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week.

According to the report, the Miami metro area had 2,332 residents test positive for HIV in 2015. That’s a rate of nearly 39 new cases for every 100,000 residents. The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area ranked 15th on the list with 597 new cases in 2015, which is a diagnosis rate of 20.1 per 100,000 residents. Lakeland-Winter Haven ranked 24th with 108 new cases reported for a diagnosis rate of 16.6 per 100,000 residents. The North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton area had 71 new cases reported, putting it in 61st place with a diagnosis rate of 9.2.

Nationally, new HIV cases are down to 39,513 in 2015, compared to more than 49,000 in 2008. Sixteen states saw an increase in the rate of new diagnoses in 2015. Louisiana saw a significant drop in new diagnoses but still had the highest rate — slightly ahead of Florida with 24.2 new cases for every 100,000 residents.

The data comes from the federal "HIV Surveillance Report," with the number of new cases and overall infection rates collected nationwide. The CDC notes that the latest data compiled for 2015 is preliminary and may not include some delayed reports. Final 2015 numbers will be released next year.

December 1, 2016, is World Aids Day, an annual international effort to increase awareness about safe practices that prevent HIV infection and how to support those with the disease. AIDS.gov provides a national locator for health centers that provide HIV testing.

Awareness is Critical, Miami Nonprofit Director Says

Awareness of the risks of infection needs to increase in the Miami community, says Luigi Ferrer, health director of Pridelines, a nonprofit that is on the front lines of stopping new cases in Miami-Dade County.

“There is no sex education in the high schools, so teenagers don’t know what risks they’re facing, that we are living in a high-incidence area," Ferrer told Patch. "Parents don’t understand the risk their kids are at, and therefore oppose comprehensive sex education in the schools. The school board doesn’t really feel that’s their purview or that’s something that they need to address. HIV isn’t on their radar screens.”

Then, there are the 15.5 million tourists who passed through Miami last year. “We have people coming from all over the world to play here, to do drugs here, to have unsafe sex when they’re on vacation here," Ferrer said.

Along with Miami, other metro areas with a higher rate of infection include Louisiana's Baton Rouge and New Orleans, followed by Jackson, Mississippi, and Atlanta.

HIV and AIDS cases are generally concentrated in urban areas and, therefore, in states with large metropolitan regions. But in the South, larger percentages of diagnoses are in smaller metro areas and suburban and rural areas, according to the CDC.

Here are the 30 metro areas that had the highest rate of new HIV cases in 2015 (the rate is per 100,000 residents), according to the CDC's report:

1. Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach, FL: 38.8

2. Baton Rouge, LA: 32.0

3. New Orleans–Metairie, LA: 31.9

4. Jackson, MS: 31.3

5. Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell, GA: 25.8

6. Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, FL: 25.7

7. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN: 24.5

8. Memphis, TN–MS–AR: 23.1

9. Jacksonville, FL: 22.7

10. Baltimore–Columbia–Towson, MD: 22.1

11. Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, TX: 22.1

12. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV: 21.5

13. Columbia, SC: 21.1

14. Las Vegas–Henderson–Paradise, NV: 20.9

15. Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater, FL: 20.1

16. Augusta–Richmond County, GA–SC: 18.6

17. Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, TX: 18.0 17

18. New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ–PA: 17.8

19. Richmond, VA: 17.7 19

20. Greensboro–High Point, NC: 17.3 20

21. San Juan–Carolina–Caguas, PR: 17.0 21

22. Austin–Round Rock, TX: 16.8 22

23. Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News, VA–NC: 16.6 23

24. Lakeland–Winter Haven, FL: 16.6

25. Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, NC–SC: 16.5

26. Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA: 16.5

27. San Antonio–New Braunfels, TX: 16.2

28. Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway, AR: 16.0

29. Durham–Chapel Hill, NC: 15.7

30. Charleston–North Charleston, SC: 15.7

Florida Aims to Lower Its Diagnosis Rate to Zero

The Florida Department of Health on Thursday marked World AIDS Day by highlighting its efforts to combat transmission of the disease in the Sunshine State.

“Today we honor those who have died and those who are living with HIV by accelerating our efforts in the fight against this potentially devastating disease,” said State Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip. “Testing all individuals 13-64 years old at least once, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is critical to identifying infections. We can then begin appropriate and effective treatment and help people lead long, healthy and fulfilling lives.”

Philip stressed that Floridians should get tested by their doctors or at their local health departments.

The state also announced the four-prong approach it is taking to “make an even greater impact on reducing HIV rates.” The goal is for a rate of zero in Florida. The strategies the state is employing, according to the department are:

• Routine screening for HIV and implementation of CDC testing guidelines;
• Increased testing among high-risk populations and providing immediate access to treatment as well as re-engaging HIV positive persons into the care system, with the ultimate goal of getting HIV positive persons to an undetectable viral load;
• The use of PrEP and nPEP as prevention strategies to reduce the risk of contracting HIV; and
• Increased community outreach and awareness about HIV, high-risk behaviors, the importance of knowing one’s status and if positive, quickly accessing and staying in treatment.

Last year, the 67 county health departments across the state conducted more than 378,000 HIV tests. To find a local health department location in counties across Florida, visit FDOH online.

Drug Use and HIV Diagnosis

Also this week, federal officials expressed concern about infections among drug users who inject heroin and other narcotics. HIV cases among minorities injecting drugs dropped by 50 percent between 2008 and 2014, but new infections among white injected drug users dropped by only 28 percent.

One possible cause may be the continued use of shared needles among white drug users, according to the CDC report. It also notes that the rate of injected drug use has increased dramatically among whites — up 114 percent in recent years.

The new data was shared in an effort to support Syringe Services Programs that can provide clean needles, along with services that include substance abuse counseling, disease testing and overdose response training.

For more information about the CDC’s findings, check out the full report.

Includes reporting by Greg Hambrick and Paul Scicchitano | Image via NIAID