Stigma, limited sex ed contribute to teen HIV uptick in Shelby County
Dominick White (middle) speaks during at End HIV Community Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
SUNDAY: Shelby County ramps up HIV outreach to combat rising youth infections
As HIV infection rates rise among teenagers and young adults in Shelby County, local health experts say limited sex education, stigma, barriers to treatment, medication noncompliance and even dating apps are all contributing to the uptick.
Tennessee Department of Health estimates show HIV rates in Shelby County have increased 36% overall since 2018, while new cases among people ages 15-19 have risen 40% in the same time period.
“This is an infection you can prevent,” said Chris Sinnock, a social worker who has worked with adolescent HIV patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital since the virus first emerged in the 1980s.
Topics
HIV/AIDS HIV St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital UTHSC Infectious Disease Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Aisling Mäki
Aisling Mäki has spent the better part of two decades writing about Memphis. A former digital journalist for WMC Action News 5 and staff reporter for Memphis Daily News, her work has also appeared in The Commercial Appeal, High Ground News, I Love Memphis, Inside Memphis Business, The Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent, Memphis Magazine and Tri-State Defender.
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