A study published last week in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), “Changes in the Disparity of HIV Diagnosis Rates Among Black Women—United States, 2010-2014,” suggests that the disparity in HIV diagnosis rates for black women, compared to Hispanic/Latina and white women, may be decreasing, a good sign that targeted prevention efforts are working. However, disparities have not disappeared, and black women continue to have a much higher rate of HIV diagnoses than Hispanic/Latina or white women. The remains committed to implementing high-impact prevention approaches that can reduce HIV infections among all blacks.
A second MMWR published last week, “HIV Care Outcomes Among Blacks with Diagnosed HIV—United States, 2014,” highlights the need for strong efforts to improve care outcomes among blacks living with HIV. At the end of 2013, only 49% of blacks living with diagnosed HIV had a suppressed viral load—the lowest proportion for any race/ethnicity in the United States. CDC is working with our partners to increase linkage to and retention in care and viral suppression for blacks living with HIV and to address the social determinants of health, such as poverty and discrimination, which contribute to health disparities.