Harris County has a higher-than-average rate of HIV and sexually transmitted infections than the Texas average, which can lead to increased STI transmission, poor health outcomes, higher health care costs and reduced quality of life, health care officials said.

The news comes from an April report released by Harris County Public Health that studied data on new and existing infections from 2015-22. Similar results were documented in a November Houston Health Department report used for HIV prevention and care services. At the end of calendar year 2022, the HHD disclosed a 5% increase from 2021 in people diagnosed with HIV in the Houston area—rising from 31,816 people in 2021 to at least 33,397 diagnosed people in 2022.

“HIV continues to rise," said Jennifer Kiger, who serves as HCPH’s director of the office of epidemiology, surveillance and emerging diseases. "We’re seeing that in Texas, [and] we’re also seeing that here in Harris County. Particularly, Black individuals within our county continue to experience the highest rates of HIV and STIs, which means we really need to do more in targeting this, and targeting our prevention and treatment efforts to address these disparities.”

By the numbers

The HCPH report found that among racial and ethnic groups with more than five reported cases per year, Black and multiracial individuals had the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses from 2016-22.

In 2019, Black residents had around 58 cases per 100,000 people, while multiracial residents had around 92 cases, compared to Hispanic residents' 23 cases per 100,000 people and 10 cases per 100,000 people for white residents.

The geographic distribution of new HIV diagnoses and people living with HIV is critical for targeting public health interventions, the report stated. From 2015-21, ZIP code 77002, in the Downtown Houston area, had the highest accumulated rates of people living with HIV with 5,614. During the same time period, Montrose ZIP code 77006 had an accumulated rate of 3,238 people living with HIV in Harris County.Montrose had the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses from 2015-22 with 81. The Settegast neighborhood in north Houston ranked third in new HIV diagnoses rates with 66. Kiger addressed the data points regarding the rise in STI cases in the Montrose and Downtown Houston areas.“I think we do see that more younger people ... live in the more central part of our county," she said. "That’s part one. Also, one thing we really talk about in the report is that sometimes hospitals or clinics may not have an address for an individual and therefore will put the address or ZIP code of the clinic or hospital."

Explained

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention refers to an STI as a virus, bacteria, fungus or parasite individuals can get through sexual contact.

While symptoms of STIs can differ depending on the infection, many people with HIV or an STI may not develop symptoms and could spread the infection to other individuals without knowing it, the report states.

• HIV has early signs including coughing, body aches and a fever.
• Chlamydia is a bacterial infection, and symptoms in both males and females includes abnormal discharge.
• Gonorrhea is the second most reported bacterial infection in the United States and can cause serious health issues including infertility.
• Syphilis is a bacterial infection that spreads through sexual contact, and can spread to the brain, eyes or ears.

Other key findings in the 42-page report found county trends among the following age groups:

• HIV: The highest rates of people living with HIV were among individuals aged 45-64. New HIV diagnoses were most common among those aged 25-34.
• Chlamydia: The highest rates were among individuals aged 15-24.
• Gonorrhea: The rates rose steadily among individuals aged 15-24 most affected.
• Syphilis: The highest rates were found in individuals aged 25-34.

What you should know

HCPH is expanding its prevention, testing and treatment initiatives to address rising HIV and STI rates, and reduce health disparities among disproportionately affected communities, according to a news release.

Services include:

• Free and low-cost testing services for Montgomery and Harris County residents regardless of insurance coverage, including free mobile testing by texting 281-962-8378
• Community education campaigns to raise awareness and reduce stigma
• HIV prevention through the county’s public health prevention program that offers counseling and outreach with community health workers

The action taken

Health officials within the Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinics located throughout Harris County also work with adolescents and young adults through a variety of projects to reduce STIs, among other health care preventative services, according to its website. Services are free and confidential for young adults ages 13-24, an age range where Harris County is seeing the rising STI rates.

In October, Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones attended the grand opening ceremony for a new teen clinic in southwest Houston alongside Peggy Smith, CEO of the Baylor Teen Health Clinic system, and other Baylor officials.

“Opening this free clinic in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine is a significant step forward in providing access," Briones said in a statement.

Digging deeper

Health care disparities affecting the higher rates among racial and ethnic minorities includes lack of access to health care, according to the report.

“Health behaviors can be reflective of an individual’s surroundings and lived experience. Thus, health behaviors are not solely dictated by individual choices but are often shaped by surrounding circumstances, including one’s neighborhood, socioeconomic status and level of access to health care,” the report states.

Shreela Sharma, professor of epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, spoke at the Texas Medical Center's April 25 health symposium about health disparities in the region.

“That's why we call it a very sticky issue. Because issues like this—in Texas, we call them nonvariable drivers of health, ... which is essentially poverty, financial distress [and] structural racism—those are all the factors that in the end, result in these social positions,” Sharma said.