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• As of 2015, a total of 3,449 Delawareans were known to be living with HIV of which 2,119 had progressed to AIDS, now known as stage 3 HIV. 

 

• New Castle County, the most populous of Delaware’s three counties, has the largest number of cases with most confined to the densely populated Wilmington metropolitan area. This represents a dramatic disparity in the state of Delaware. While Wilmington comprises 14% of the New Castle County population, it accounts for 40% of the county’s individuals living with HIV/stage 3 (AIDS).

 

• African-Americans are disproportionately affected by the HIV/stage 3 (AIDS) burden. Twenty-one percent of Delaware’s total population is African-American but this group accounts for 65% of all HIV/stage 3 (AIDS) cases ever diagnosed in the state.  This racial disparity is more pronounced in Delaware compared to the general U.S population and persists even when HIV and stage 3 (AIDS) are considered separately.  African- Americans account for 36% of all male stage 3 (AIDS) cases living in the U.S., but 55% of those living in Delaware.  Similarly, African-American women comprise 60% of all women living with AIDS in the U.S. In the state of Delaware, African-American women make up 77% of all women living with AIDS. 

 

• Consistent with U.S. trends, the majority (61%) of HIV/ stage 3 (AIDS) cases ever reported in Delaware were among adults aged 30-49. 

 

As you can see, African Americans are disproportionally affected by HIV/AIDS in Delaware and the U.S.  Black women are impacted at a higher rate than white women.  These significant data points regarding HIV/AIDS have mobilized this chapter to act now to stop the spread of this disease by 2030. We strongly encourage you to read and share this information with anyone and everyone – please don’t let the next positive case be you.  Currently, there is encouraging news, there are drugs to reduce the spread of HIV and treatments have greatly advanced.  We can stop HIV/AIDS cold but we must take action now.

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Delaware Resources

 

• Delaware Department of Public Health—It is the mission of the HIV Prevention Program to provide statewide management, education and training for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.  https://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/dpc/hivaidsprogram.html

 

• Delaware HIV Consortium is a statewide non-profit organization established to facilitate collaboration among its community partners and to ensure that quality, non-duplicative HIV treatment and prevention services are available throughout Delaware. https://www.delawarehiv.org

 

• Beautiful Gate Outreach Center is a leading testing site in Delaware that provides HIV education, prevention,                                        and outreach. https://www.bgate.org

 

 

National Resources

 

• Centers for Disease Control FAQ

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• Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention—The National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) is responsible for public health surveillance, prevention research, and programs to prevent and control HIV and AIDS, other STDs, viral hepatitis, and TB. https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/

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• Learn about DESCOVY for PrEP: https://www.descovy.com/prep/what-is-descovy-for-prep?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=USA_MA_SEM_NB_BM_Descovy-DTP-Disease+Awareness-Standard&utm_content=General+HIV&utm_term=%2Baids+%2Bfacts&&msclkid=c8d7adc5001a18c3666bf259091ddd83&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=USA_MA_SEM_NB_BM_Descovy-DTP-Disease%20Awareness-Standard&utm_term=%2Baids%20%2Bfacts&utm_content=General%20HIV&gclid=c8d7adc5001a18c3666bf259091ddd83&gclsrc=3p.ds​

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• The Office on Women's Health - National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: www.womenshealth.gov/nwghaad

 

• The Black AIDS Institute—Founded in May of 1999, the Black AIDS Institute (BAI) is the only national HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on Black people. The Institute’s mission is to stop the AIDS pandemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing Black leaders, institutions, and individuals, in efforts to confront HIV. 

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• Black Aids Institute launches initiatives focused on black women. https://blackaids.org/blog/black-aids-institute-launches-initiatives-focused-black-women/

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• Black Women and PrEP Toolkit:https:  https//blackaids.org/news-and-events/black-women-prep/

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• Greater than Aids—A leading public information response focused on HIV in the U.S. from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a national non-profit organization.  Dr. Charlene Flash – an HIV specialist and primary care doctor based in Houston – joins the superstar roster of health care providers in the latest installment of #AskTheHIVDoc.