Economic and Health Burdens of HIV and COVID-19: Insights from a Survey of Underserved Communities in Semi-Urban and Rural Illinois

This paper presents findings from the “Estimating the Economic and Health Burdens of HIV in Semi-Urban and Rural Illinois" survey conducted in downstate Illinois, USA. The survey targeted hidden and hard-to-reach communities of HIV-positive individuals and their partners. The study utilizes network science techniques, including community detection and visualization, to analyze the social, medical, and economic forces influencing three underserved communities: African Americans, HIV-positive individuals, and those facing worsened economic situations due to COVID-19. The analysis reveals disparities in healthcare access, discrimination, and economic challenges faced by these communities. The paper highlights the value of network analysis in interpreting smaller datasets and calls for further collaborations and research using the freely available survey data and analysis materials.