ORIGINAL ARTICLE
HIV Testing and HIV/AIDS Treatment Services in Rural Counties in 10 Southern States: Service Provider Perspectives Madeline Sutton, MD, MPH;1 Monique-Nicole Anthony, MPH;1,2 Christie Vila, PhD;3 Eleanor McLellan-Lemal, MA;1 & Paul J. Weidle, PharmD, MPH1 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 2 Northrop Grumman Corporation, Information Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 3 Florida International University, Stempel School of Public Health, Miami, Florida
Abstract
The authors thank Dr. Alan Greenberg, Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, Dr. Scott D. Holmberg, Carmen Villar, Alliances of Quality Education, and the survey respondents, each of whom helped make this study possible. The authors also thank Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick for her critical review of the manuscript. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For further information, contact: Madeline Y. Sutton, MD, MPH, Epidemiology Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS E-45, Atlanta, GA 30333; e-mail:
[email protected] doi: 10.1111/j.1748-0361.2010.00284.x
Context: Forty percent of AIDS cases are reported in the southern United States, the region with the largest proportion of HIV/AIDS cases from rural areas. Data are limited regarding provider perspectives of the accessibility and availability of HIV testing and treatment services in southern rural counties. Purpose: We surveyed providers in the rural south to better understand: (1) the accessibility and availability, and (2) the facilitators and barriers of HIV testing and treatment services. Methods: All county health departments (N = 326) serving populations of
