The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Organizations Providing Services for People Living with HIV and Gender and Sexual Minorities in the Deep South

The Deep South region (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX) has been particularly affected by HIV, having the highest diagnosis and death rates of any region in the US.1,2 This region has historically had high pov- erty rates, high levels of STIs and other diseases, and a cultural climate that generates significant HIV-relat- ed stigma, all of which contribute to the dispropor- tionate impact of HIV in the Deep South. COVID-19 has further exacerbated disparities for people across the US, and certain populations and regions have been disproportionately affect- ed. Of the 75 US counties that were identi- fied as HIV/COVID-19 co-existing hotspots, 66% (n=49) are located in the Deep South; 17 (23%) in Florida, 14 (19%) in Georgia, ten (13%) in Louisiana, and eight (11%) in Mis- sissippi.3 Further, COVID-19 vaccination rates in these states and other Deep South states are some of the lowest in the nation. Of the 15 states with the lowest percentage of their population fully vaccinated, nearly half 47% (n=7) are located in the Deep South.4