Amid nationwide decline, Memphis stays an HIV hotspot
“We’ve reached out to our largest school system and are awaiting response from them on how we can partner and best support them to combat these rates, since we know that a lot of our adolescents are at risk,” Shelby County Health Department Director Dr. Michelle Taylor said. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
Local health organizations are ramping up HIV testing to combat the rising rate of new infections among teens and young adults in Shelby County.
HIV infection rates continue to decline nationwide, but the Memphis area persists as a hotspot for new infections.
Shelby County ranks second nationally with new HIV infections, behind Miami and ahead of Atlanta.
The 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.
Topics
HIV/AIDS Shelby County Health Department UTHSC Infectious Disease St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 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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