The CDC has reported that 44% of individuals who are living with HIV are residing in the southern region of the United States; HIV diagnosis rates are higher in the South than they are for Americans overall.

At the 25th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), research presented by Johnathan Colasanti, MD, MSPH, from the Emory University School of Medicine, suggested that the implementation of rapid entry programs in an economically and socially disenfranchised population in the South significantly improved time to viral suppression for those with HIV.

“Significant resources and effort were needed to implement this program, suggesting that more data are needed to determine which populations will benefit most from the rapid start of ART in the United States,” Dr. Colasanti said in his presentation.

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