Low-Income HIVers Have High Death Rates

Low-income HIVers are significantly more likely to die of AIDS-related complications than HIV-positive people with higher incomes or better education, according to a study in the November issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. A review of the socioeconomic backgrounds of nearly 3,000 HIV-positive adults showed that HIV-positive adults with no accumulated financial assets were 89% more likely to die of AIDS-related complications than wealthier HIVers, and people with less than a high school education were 53% more likely to die than those with a high school education or better. The researchers conclude that the higher death rate for poor HIVers is linked to a low level of access to health care services, including antiretrovirals, mostly due to a lack of private health insurance.