August 20 is Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (SHAAD), an opportunity to raise awareness about the HIV epidemic in the Southern region of the United States. The South, and particularly the “Deep South” (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas) experiences a higher burden of HIV compared to other regions in the country and lower PrEP uptake.
In 2022, the South accounted for 53% of all new HIV diagnoses, despite only representing 38% of the U.S. population. Additionally, compared to other regions, the South had the highest number of people living with HIV in 2022. Social determinants of health (SDOH) such as poverty and median household income may contribute to higher rates of HIV in the South, as the South had the highest poverty rate and lowest median household income in 2022. SDOH impact access to care, and thus, knowledge of HIV status and access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care services. In 2022, 14% of people living with HIV in the South were unaware of their HIV status.
HIV disproportionately impacts Black individuals in the South. In 2022, Black individuals accounted for nearly half of all new HIV diagnoses in the South, but only represented 22% of Southern PrEP users in 2023.
This Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (SHAAD), AIDSVu is shedding light on the health inequities experienced in the Southern region of the United States and is calling for action to address social determinants of health that contribute to the South’s increased HIV burden.
2024 Theme: Power to the People!
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AIDSVu’s infographics are meant to encourage new ways of visualizing the HIV epidemic in the South. Share them on social, print them out as one-pagers, and add them to your presentations.
Infographic
Update your LinkedIn, Facebook, and X banners to show your support for #SHAAD.
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Share these social media posts and infographics on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook with #SHAAD to help spark conversations about HIV in the Southern region of the U.S.
Post 1
#DYK? Despite accounting for only 38% of the U.S. population, the South represented more than half of all new HIV diagnoses across the country in 2022. This #SHAAD, AIDSVu is shedding light on the #HIV epidemic in the South: https://aidsvu.org/toolkit-southern-hiv-aids-awareness-day-2024/
Post 2
August 20 is #SHAAD, dedicated to raising awareness about the higher burden of #HIV experienced by the American South. Compared to all other regions, the South had the highest number of people living with HIV in 2022. Learn more about HIV prevalence in the South: https://aidsvu.org/toolkit-southern-hiv-aids-awareness-day-2024/
Post 3
HIV disproportionately effects Black people in the South. In 2022, Black people represented nearly half of all new #HIV diagnoses in the South, but only accounted for 22% of Southern #PrEP users in 2023. Founded by the Southern AIDS Coalition, #SHAAD is dedicated to exploring HIV inequities in the South: https://aidsvu.org/toolkit-southern-hiv-aids-awareness-day-2024/
Post 4
Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is on August 20. This #SHAAD, AIDSVu is shedding light on social determinants of health, particularly poverty rates and median household income, that can impact access to #HIV care. Read more: https://aidsvu.org/toolkit-southern-hiv-aids-awareness-day-2024/