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HIV Rates in Low Income Communities

I. Background

A. Introduction

Research in HIV rates in low-income communities is crucial to facilitate control of the

epidemic for the general population since income is inversely proportional to the prevalence of

HIV. More research is necessary to unlock the mystery in the relationship between income and

HIV spread. Recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention carried out a survey of the

prevalence of HIV epidemic in impoverished areas among the United States urbanized areas.

Some of the most significant demographic characteristics that contribute to the prevalence of

HIV are age, education, income, poverty level, and region (Division of HIV Prevention, National

Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention). The survey found that poverty is a stronger contributing factor to prevalence of

HIV. The prevalence of HIV rates is inversely proportional to the annual income level of the

households with the lower income households suffering greater HIV prevalence rates.

HIV prevalence among households with income less than US $ 10000 per annum is at 52

percent while it is at only 3 percent in households earning an annual income of US $ 50000 and

above (Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB

Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Those living above poverty threshold

depict an HIV prevalence of just about 23 percent. Americans who earn or live with an income at
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or below the poverty threshold form the bulk of approximately 75 percent HIV prevalence

nationwide. This research project aligns with USAID’s mission in most ways. USAID boosts of

promoting and catalyzing development results. They advance economic prosperity, generosity,

resilience, and self-reliance. The mission of the organization rotates around promoting a

prosperous world, disaster assistance, reduction of poverty, and humanitarian activities. This

research project would inject more information to help USAID achieve its mission and beyond.

B. Purpose

The purpose of this research project is to disentangle the mystery behind high HIV

prevalence among the poverty and low-income affected communities. The project would operate

with the following research questions;

What are the underlying factors for the greater prevalence of HIV epidemic among the low-

income communities?

How can HIV education platforms be effective in reducing poverty, advancing economic

empowerment, self-reliance, and resilience?

Earlier in the introduction, we noted that there is about 75 percent HIV prevalence among those

living below the poverty threshold. In 2021, the official report on the rate of poverty was 11.6

percent which translates to over 37 million people in the U. S. (US Census Bureau). Getting an

insight of the factors for the great HIV prevalence among the low-income communities will

facilitates implementation of measures to control the epidemic and promote economic

empowerment using same platforms.

Poverty and Socioeconomic Status as HIV drivers

A study by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control a decade ago showed there is a

link between poverty and HIV. The study found poverty to be a leading risk factor among
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heterosexuals for HIV infection (Cawthorne). Poverty also worsens the challenges of living with

HIV accompanying issues like poor housing, inadequate access to quality healthcare, and food

insecurity. Socioeconomic status directly relates with poverty levels and they make a reliable

predictor of physical and psychological health. Multiple psychosocial and physical stressors

characterize poverty (American Psychological Association). HIV constrains one’s chances to

active employment and income generation. Lack of or inadequate socioeconomic resources leads

to risky health behavior. Socioeconomic statuses include income level, financial security,

education level, and social class. The evolution of HIV epidemic in the last 3 decades has seen it

concentrate into a pandemic of the poor. There are striking disparities in health which contribute

greatly in HIV infections (Pellowski et al.). Various social positions are more at risk of getting

infected with HIV. Racial and gender groups, structural and economic conditions, access to care,

and other environmental resources play a crucial role in HIV prevalence.

Further research is crucial to establish the direct relationship between HIV and poverty

and how to tackle the epidemic while economically empowering the poor communities in a

multi-faceted single approach. Most researchers generally link poverty to risky health behavior

which make contraction of HIV more likely. However, these data limit the conclusions within

poor populations in urban area and fails to explain the state of the poor who do not live in urban

areas. We need to research more direct links between HIV prevalence and poverty and ways HIV

education platforms can help to empower the poor economically. This is the aim of our research

project which would be an approach that kills two birds with one stone; create a platform to help

in control and prevention of spread of HIV and advance economic empowerment of

impoverished communities in a single initiative.

II. Project Description

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Contrary to the general link of poverty to HIV as risky behavior, this project aims at establishing

more specific links to HIV that are particular to the low-income communities. It will benefit

researchers in the field, government health departments, health and healthcare organizations, and

organizations dedicated to the eradication of poverty. This research project aims to disentangle

the mystery behind high HIV prevalence among the poverty and low-income affected

communities and find ways HIV education platforms can serve as economic empowerment

education programs. The objectives are to establish major links between poverty and HIV

prevalence; to come up with tentative methods of controlling and checking HIV prevalence

among the poor; to combine HIV and economic empowerment education; and to hypothesize the

advancement of economic empowerment among poverty-stricken communities.

III. Methodology

The research project would utilize Descriptive and Correlational research study designs.

Descriptive research will describe the status quo considering comparable numbers of HIV

infections among various populations based on their socioeconomic statuses and poverty levels.

The research project will develop theories from the data collected and test the theories from

analysis of the data. Correlational research will facilitate the determination of the relationship

between the socioeconomic status, poverty level, and prevalence of HIV among the sample

communities of study by employing the figures from descriptive research. The trends and

patterns in the data will be the outcome and we will go an extra step to analyze the cause and

effect from the natural setting of the results we obtain.

The research project will utilize the simple random sampling approach. This will provide

an equal chance for every member of the community to be selected for data collection. Random
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sampling allows for general results that attract strong external validity. It allows learning about

the entire population quicker even though it might involve a substantial amount of time.

Data from the Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis,

STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US Census Bureau

provides a steady standing point of data collection for the research project as it gives accurate

statistics that are up to date regarding the status quo. The researchers will compare the numbers

of HIV infections reported and target further groups for any communities in the rural areas in the

U.S. that the research finds alarming gaps. The most significant tools and resources for the

research project will involve finances for transportation nationwide and incentives and indemnity

for any deserved sample members. The researchers will also need access to the government latest

HIV data collected and laboratory time for analysis and data processing. Upon collecting further

data from unrepresented groups in a span of a month, these data will form the basis for

comparison and coming up with hypotheses for the research. The researcher will then use four

days to analyze the data and determine the relationships between the data sets for any trends and

cause and effect.

We will publish the results of the research through the final report which we will share

with the USAID, the Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis,

STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US Census Bureau,

and post the article in various online journals that have nationwide and international audience.

We will include recommendations for future research, scope and limitations of our research, the

conclusions and proof of hypotheses.

IV. Conclusion
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This research focuses the study of HIV in the lens of income and socioeconomic statuses

through analysis of data from various samples and coming up with various conclusions and

theories. The research will endeavor to prove how status factors like access to treatment,

transport constraints, and other related factors affect prevalence of HIV. The researchers aim at

developing theories on how to use the data and findings of the research to help check the spread

of HIV and advance economic empowerment while at it. This way, there will be a raise in the

socioeconomic statuses, education level, and access to information; which are the greatest tools

in stopping the fatal epidemic.

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Work Cited

Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Economically Disadvantaged.” Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Dec. 2019,

https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/poverty.html.

US Census Bureau. “National Poverty in America Awareness Month: January 2023.” Census.gov, 20

Dec. 2022, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/poverty-awareness-

month.html#:~:text=The%20official%20poverty%20rate%20in,and%20Table%20A%2D1).

Cawthorne, Alexandra. “Poverty Is Driving an HIV Epidemic.” Center for American Progress, 21

Dec. 2022, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/poverty-is-driving-an-hiv-epidemic/.

American Psychological Association. “HIV/AIDS and Socioeconomic Status.” American

Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, Apr. 2022,

https://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/hiv-aids.

Pellowski, Jennifer A., et al. “A Pandemic of the Poor: Social Disadvantage and the U.S. HIV

Epidemic.” American Psychologist, vol. 68, no. 4, 2013, pp. 197–209.,

https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032694.