A new three-part documentary from Mississippi Public Broadcasting takes a look at HIV in Mississippi and features Dr. Alfio Rausa, health officer for District III in Greenwood
The first segment of the program, a special edition of “Southern Remedy,” airs tonight at 8 p.m.
The program takes a look at the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in Mississippi, which currently ranks seventh in the nation for newly diagnosed cases of the sexually transmitted disease.
Rausa, who’s worked in public health in Greenwood since 1966, said the overall number of cases in Leflore County has stayed roughly constant at around 50 new cases per year for the past decade.
As the population in the area shrinks, Rausa said, the overall rate is increasing.
When the disease first struck in the 1980s, the victims were primarily young, white and homosexual. Over time, though, the disease started primarily affecting heterosexual women.
Although the number of new cases has stayed roughly level, Rausa said, the demographics of the disease have been once again shifting.
“Right now, we’re back to where we started, with homosexual black men having the highest rate of HIV,” Rausa said. “Right now, as a group of people, black males make up the largest number. Heterosexual men, white or black, are the lower number.”
Rausa said he didn’t have an easy explanation for the shift, though he suggested a lack of awareness of the disease may be partially to blame.
“Way back, it looked like the gay population educated themselves and took precautions and the rate went down significantly,” Rausa said. “Right now, it looks like people aren’t taking precautions and using condoms.”
Dr. Thomas Dobbs, an epidemiologist at Mississippi State University who’s also featured in the program, told MPB that the stigma around homosexual activity in the black community has led many to live their lives in secrecy
“They don't realize the risks of getting HIV,” Dobbs said. “We know that in the lifetime of a gay black man with the current trends, about 40 percent will have HIV in their lifetime. And that's just astounding and that's way too much.”
Rausa said that, with advances in medical technology and far better medication, HIV/AIDS is no longer the death sentence it once was.
“Now with this medication, we can protect your immune system,” Rausa said. “You have to take the medicine, but it beats dying early. There are people that have lived 40 years HIV-positive.”
The best tool in fighting against the disease, Rausa said, was better education and better awareness.
“People that are sexually active should be tested,” Rausa said. “If you’re infected, there are medications that can control the effect of that virus on your body.”
Rausa, a regular guest on “Southern Remedy” — both a television and radio call-in program — said the programs have been a great public health tool in Mississippi.
Although he hasn’t yet seen this most recent documentary, Rausa said he was looking forward to it.
“They generally do good documentaries,” Rausa said. “Southern Remedy has really been a great program for educating people.”
• Contact Bryn Stole at 581-7235 or bstole@gwcommonwealth.com.
