African Americans

Fast Facts:

African Americans are the racial/ethnic group that is most affected by HIV.
The rate of new HIV infection in African Americans is 8 times that of whites based on population size.
Gay and bisexual men account for most new infections among African Americans; young gay and bisexual men aged 13 to 24 are the most affected of this group.

New HIV Infections:

Black/African Americans accounted for 46% of all new HIV infections in 2013, and make up 43% of the total number of people living with HIV in the USA, despite only making up 13% of the population.

Between 2009-2013, black/African Americans accounted for:

63% of all HIV infections among women
67% of all HIV infections among children below 13 years old
42% of all HIV infections among males.

Black/African American men and women are most likely to be infected through unprotected sex with a man, or by injecting drugs. Other factors such as heightened levels of poverty, lack of access to adequate healthcare, and stigma surrounding MSM also increase this group's risk of HIV infection.

Young black/African American MSM (aged 13 to 24) are most affected. In 2010, they were more than twice as likely to be infected with HIV as young MSM of any other ethnic group.

High HIV prevalence within this community, and the increased likelihood of black/African Americans to only have sexual relations with others in their community, heightens their risk of HIV.*

Challenges to Prevention:

HIV (prevalence) Because of the prevalence of HIV in African American communities and the fact that African Americans tend to have sex with partners of the same race/ethnicity, African Americans face a greater risk of HIV infection with each new sexual encounter.

Lack of Awareness Almost 73,600 HIV-infected people in the African American population in 2011 were unaware of their HIV status.

Socioeconomic Issues Limited access to high-quality health care, housing, and HIV prevention education directly and indirectly increase the risk for HIV infection, and affect the health of people living with and at risk for HIV.

Stigma Stigma, fear, discrimination, homophobia, and negative perceptions about HIV testing can also place too many African Americans at higher risk. Many at risk for HIV fear discrimination and rejection more than infection and may choose not to seek testing.

HIV Treatment Among African Americans:

Only 46% of African Americans living with HIV are on antiretroviral treatment...
...Moreover, only 35% have achieved viral suppression, where HIV is reduced to a low level in the body.
Less than 30% of African Americans living with HIV on ART were adhering to it, compared to 40% of people of other races.

A Look to the Future...

Medication Availability Antiretroviral treatment (ART) is not a cure for the disease, but it slows down the growth of the virus and effectively extends the lifespan of an infected patient.

Campaigns Various campaigns have been running to raise awareness and encourage African Americans to test for HIV, including: “Testing Makes Us Stronger,” “Take Charge,” “Take the test.”

It’s important that access to healthcare is increased for African Americans with regards to other health conditions and opportunistic infections.

Now You Know

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Data collected from:

*Information gathered from AVERT