Southern States Manifesto: Update 2008 HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the South, Southern AIDS Coalition

This report is an update of the 2002 Southern States Manifesto, which described the disproportionate impact of the HIV epidemic on communities in the Southern states as well as the challenges those in the South face in working to address the HIV crisis. The report details the obstacles faced in the South, which include rising infection rates, inadequate funding resources and infrastructures, vulnerable populations, poverty, unemployment, high rates of uninsured and underinsured, and stigma. The report also provides a detailed analysis of HIV and STI statistics in the South, as well as a discussion on the myriad of marginalized groups that comprise the affected population (e.g. men who have sex with men (MSM), people of color, women, and why these populations face particular challenges in the South). It concludes with a discussion about opportunities to meet these challenges: expansion of testing, counseling, support, age-appropriate education to avoid infection, and housing funding as a tool for prevention..