BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana continues to have some of the highest HIV rates in the nation, and health leaders say Black women remain disproportionately affected. On Monday, community organizations marked the 10th annual The Difference Is Us World AIDS Day event, bringing residents together to raise awareness, share resources, and continue the fight for a cure.
Louisiana currently ranks fourth in the nation for new HIV diagnoses, and in the Baton Rouge region, more than 75 percent of people living with HIV are African American. Advocates say the data reflects long-standing disparities that impact prevention, treatment, and access to care.
Denage Piper, president of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Metropolitan Baton Rouge Chapter, says Black women continue to face systemic barriers…