HIV burden higher in Va. urban communities

One of every 84 people in Petersburg has HIV or AIDS.

In Richmond, that number is one of every 91 people, and in Norfolk, it's one of every 102 people.

(The statewide rate is one in every 370 people.)

These three urban areas are among the nation's HIV and AIDS "hot spots," according to a group that yesterday launched a Web site that let users geographically map areas where the HIV and AIDS burden is high.

"We have pockets out here where we have relatively small communities, small counties, but significant disease presentation," said Gary Puckrein of the National Minority Quality Forum, the organization launching the Web site.

"We need to be able to manage both the large and small [communities] if we are going to do something about this disease," said Puckrein, who described the new database during an Internet broadcast. His organization, based in Washington, has also geographically mapped rates of diabetes and kidney disease.

The http://www.mapHIV.org site uses data collected from states and localities and is for the year 2006.

As users logged on yesterday, the Web site slowed down, preventing some users from getting on.

"When we started to build the atlas we wanted to make sure community organizations had the information they needed both to do intervention in their community as well as to talk intelligently to legislators," said Puckrein. "By presenting the numbers, we change the conversation."

Juan M. Pierce Sr. of the Minority Health Consortium Inc. said statistics help when making his case for more resources. He works out of Richmond and with a small staff of part-timers and volunteers, does testing and outreach in Petersburg and Richmond.

"Maybe it will get people talking," Pierce said of the new site.

The Virginia Department of Health publishes similar data and has also mapped areas in the state where the HIV burden is highest. The department has published data from 2008.

Pierce agreed that one key to halting the HIV epidemic is for more people to get tested. People who have HIV and don't know it can spread the infection.

Saturday is National HIV Testing Day, with free HIV testing at locations around the region and nation. Local health departments and some free clinics also offer free testing all the time.

Pierce said the data are not surprising. His group does HIV prevention programs at local jails, clinics, colleges and public housing developments.

"It shows that there is just that much more work for us to do in terms of educating the public and getting people to protect themselves," said Pierce, who said there are signs of progress.

Six years ago, he said, on one daylong testing outreach program he got one person to agree to be tested. During a recent outreach, he and his staff tested 93 people.

"The one thing I have seen is we have more people who are deciding to take that bold step and get tested," he said.

Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or .