2 days Ago By Kyle McClenagan
A report released this week by Harris County Public Health found that the Houston area has a higher rate of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections compared to the Texas average. According to the report, Harris County has a higher-than-average rate of infections for chlamydia, congenital syphilis, gonorrhea, new HIV diagnoses, people living with HIV and total syphilis. The study collected data on new and existing infections from 2015-22.
Below is a breakdown of how Harris County rates compared to the rest of the state. Regarding local HIV trends, the study found that the highest rates of those living with the virus were between the ages of 45-64, while new diagnoses were most common among those between ages 25-34. Across the board, the highest rates of HIV were found in multiracial and Black communities, according to the study.
The highest rates of chlamydia were in those aged 15-24, with the largest impact being found in the Black community, according to the report. The rate of gonorrhea infections steadily rose over the study period, with the highest rates again being found in the Black community and those between 15-24 years old. According to the study, the rate of syphilis cases more than doubled from 2016 to 2022.
The highest rates were found in those aged 25-34. The Black community was also disproportionately impacted. One of the main contributors to higher rates among racial and ethnic minorities is that these groups often have less access to healthcare, according to the study.
These healthcare disparities are also found nationally. "Access to high-quality healthcare plays a critical role in early STI detection, treatment and behavior-change counseling," researchers said in the study. "Disparities in healthcare access and the quality of service can significantly impact HIV outcomes, with individuals facing barriers to timely testing, treatment and adherence to antiretroviral therapies.
" Researchers also found that living environments can affect someone’s health outcome. "Current findings suggest that adolescents living in distressed neighborhoods — characterized by an absence of safe and accessible recreational spaces, limited access to health-promoting resources and high levels of crime — have disproportionately higher rates of multiple sex partners, STIs and sexual assault," researchers state in the study. Harris County Public Health said it is expanding its free and low-cost testing services, community education campaigns and HIV prevention strategies.
More information can be found at the Harris County Public Health website ..
