Universal HIV Treatment Access No Guarantee of Health for Socially Disadvantaged

POZ.com: "San Francisco has long been a pioneer in HIV research and treatment. In some populations of people with HIV—notably financially stable gay and bisexual men receiving HIV care—the city has among the best treatment outcomes in the United States, due in part to laws providing universal health care to its residents. Recently, the San Francisco health department recommended intensive HIV testing and immediate treatment for all people found to be HIV positive. The idea is not only to prevent ongoing HIV transmission but also to benefit the health of people living with HIV.

"A concern has remained, however, whether good health outcomes are the same for people who are socially disadvantaged—such as injection drug users and people with mental illness—compared with less marginalized groups. Other studies have indicated that reductions in AIDS cases and AIDS deaths have not fallen as much among disadvantaged populations as the general population of people with HIV."