Investigating the relationship between economic status and HIV risk

Although anecdotal information suggests that there is a relationship between socioeconomic status and HIV risk, there have been few investigations of that possible relationship. Understanding that relationship can have important implications for designing and implementing prevention programs. This study investigated the relationship between indicators of socioeconomic status and HIV prevalence in Massachusetts using seroprevalence data from publicly funded test sites. HIV seroprevalence was found to differ depending on demographic groups and the health care insurance/provider. Those who had no insurance or were Medicaid recipients had higher rates of HIV infection. Homeless individuals were also at higher risk. Further, low-income ZIP codes in Massachusetts were four times more likely to have high seroprevalence rates among residents voluntarily testing for HIV. Thus, HIV seroprevalence appears to be associated with socioeconomic status in this group of voluntarily tested individuals.