Newly released data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that while HIV infection rates are declining overall, persistent racial disparities remain. The number of new infections in the US fell by 8% between 2015 and 2019, with declines particularly marked among young adults and homosexual men. However, progress is not evenly distributed, with PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a preventative medication, being prescribed far less to Hispanic and Black people than White people. Just 20% of eligible Hispanic people and 11% of eligible Black people have been prescribed PrEP in 2021, as opposed to 78% of eligible White people.
Although the CDC has estimated that 1.2 million Americans have HIV, 1 in 8 of whom are unaware they have it, awareness is lowest among young people, who represented around 15% of new infections in 2021. According to the data, young Black and Hispanic gay and bisexual men also saw lower declines in HIV infections compared to their White counterparts.
While the report highlights progress in HIV prevention, the CDC warns that the decline in new infections is not moving quickly enough to meet the national goal of reducing new HIV infections by 90% from 2017 levels by 2030. Officials say there are “deep racial disparities” in access to treatment and prevention, which if not addressed, could impede the goal of ending the HIV epidemic. Infections among Black and Hispanic men represented 40% and 35% of new infections, respectively, in the gay community.
In addition, the report found that overall viral suppression was lower among Black and Hispanic people than White people. These findings indicate systemic inequality and structural barriers contribute to health disparities in the US.
To close these gaps in HIV prevention and treatment, the CDC is calling for investments in proven HIV prevention programs, expanded access to HIV self-testing, and actions to ensure equitable access to PrEP. Public health experts and advocates also argue that wider access to HIV prevention and treatment services, including PrEP, community-based organizations, and testing, is crucial to ending the HIV epidemic and addressing the long-standing health disparities it highlights.
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