HIV Education, Prevention, and Outreach Programs in Rural Areas of the Southeastern United States

Abstract

This study describes HIV education, prevention, and outreach activities, including barriers to providing these services, to clients in rural areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. We present responses from 222 AIDS service and public health organizations. The questionnaire defined rural “as a town, village, or county with fewer than 50,000 people that is not part of a larger metropolitan area.” About one-fourth of the clients served by these organizations were female and about one-third were African American. Among the perceived most successful programs provided were outreach efforts, health education and risk reduction, and one-to-one client education or outreach. However, major challenges to providing these programs were lack of funds and a lack of qualified staff. Social stigma, privacy concerns, and community attitudes also presented additional obstacles to providing services in rural areas.