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The Black Epidemic By the Numbers

A Statistical Snapshot of Today's African American Epidemic

September 2007

Who's Getting Infected in America

By Percent

Racial/Ethnic Percentages of New HIV/AIDS Diagnoses in 2004
Black: 50 percent
White: 30 percent
Latino: 18 percent
Other Ethnicities: 2 percent
Racial/Ethnic Percentages of New HIV/AIDS Diagnoses in 2004
Source: CDC. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2004. Vol. 16, Table 1. Data based on 35 states with long-term HIV tracking systems that count infections by recording patients' names.
 

In Numbers

Number of New HIV/AIDS Diagnoses by Race/Ethnicity in 2004
Black: 19,206
White: 11,806
Latino: 6,970
Other Ethnicities: 602
Total: 38,584
Number of New HIV/AIDS Diagnoses by Race/Ethnicity in 2004
Source: CDC. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2004. Vol. 16, Table 1. Data based on 35 states with long-term HIV tracking systems that count infections by recording patients' names.


20 Years of Diagnoses

Racial/Ethnic Percentages of Annual AIDS Diagnoses, 1985-2004

Racial/Ethnic Percentages of Annual AIDS Diagnoses, 1985-2004
Source: CDC. HIV/AIDS Surveillance by Race/Ethnicity. Online slide set at www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/slides/race-ethnicity, accessed September 3, 2007.

Positive Americans

Racial/Ethnic Percentages of All People Living with HIV/AIDS (as of 2004)
Black: 48 percent
White: 34 percent
Latino: 17 percent
Other Ethnicities: 1 percent
Racial/Ethnic Percentages of All People Living with HIV/AIDS (as of 2004)
Source: CDC. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2004. Vol. 16, Table 9. Data based on 35 states with long-term HIV tracking systems that count infections by recording patients' names.
 

Where Newly HIV+ Live

Regional Percentages of New HIV Diagnoses, 2001-2004
South: 55 percent
Northeast: 29 percent
Midwest: 11 percent
West: 5 percent
Regional Percentages of New HIV Diagnoses, 2001-2004
Source: CDC. Trends in HIV/AIDS Diagnoses -- 33 States, 2001-2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Nov. 18, 2005.

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An Up-Close Look at Today's Infections

Women

New HIV Infections Among Women in 2004
Black: 67 percent
White: 17 percent
Latino: 13 percent
Other Ethnicities: 2 percent
New HIV Infections Among Women in 2004
Source: CDC. HIV/AIDS Surveillance by Race/Ethnicity online slide set, Slide 16. Data based on 33 states with HIV tracking systems that count infections by recording patients' names since at least 2000.
 

Men

New HIV Infections Among Men in 2004
Black: 43 percent
White: 36 percent
Latino: 20 percent
Other Ethnicities: 1 percent
New HIV Infections Among Men in 2004
Source: CDC. HIV/AIDS Surveillance by Race/Ethnicity online slide set, Slide 15. Data based on 33 states with HIV tracking systems that count infections by recording patients' names since at least 2000.
 

Youth

New HIV/AIDS Cases Among Teens in 2004
Black: 70 percent
White: 15 percent
Latino: 13 percent
Other Ethnicities: 2 percent
New HIV/AIDS Cases Among Teens in 2004
Source: CDC. HIV/AIDS Surveillance in Adolescents and Young Adults online slide set, Slide 6. Data based on 33 states with HIV tracking systems that count infections by recording patients' names since at least 2000.


How Black Americans Get Infected

Men

Transmission Routes of HIV Diagnoses Among Black Men, 2001-2004
Sex with men: 49 percent
Sex with women: 25 percent
Injection drug use: 19 percent
Sex with men and injection drug use: 5 percent
Other: 1 percent
Transmission Routes of HIV Diagnoses Among Black Men, 2001-2004
Source: CDC. Trends in HIV/AIDS Diagnoses -- 33 States, 2001-2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Nov. 18, 2005.
 

Women

Transmission Routes of HIV Diagnoses Among Black Women, 2001-2004
Sex with men: 78 percent
Injection drug use: 19 percent
Other: 3 percent
Transmission Routes of HIV Diagnoses Among Black Women, 2001-2004
Source: CDC. Trends in HIV/AIDS Diagnoses -- 33 States, 2001-2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Nov. 18, 2005.
 

Unanswered Questions

HIV Risk of Male Sex Partners of Black Women Who Tested Positive in 2004
Unknown: 77 percent
Injection drug use: 17 percent
Sex with men: 6 percent
Other: Less than 1 percent
HIV Risk of Male Sex Partners of Black Women Who Tested Positive in 2004
Source: CDC. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2004. Vol. 16, Table 22. Data based on 42 states with long-term HIV tracking systems that count infections by recording patients' names in 2004.


Who's Still Dying of AIDS in America

A Record of Lives Lost

Annual AIDS Deaths by Race/Ethnicity, 1985-2004

Year of Death White, not Hispanic Black, not Hispanic Hispanic Other Ethnicities All Groups Percent Black
1985 4,005 1,757 1,021 36 6,819 25.77%
1986 7,011 3,029 1,807 74 11,921 25.41%
1987 8,886 4,554 2,492 106 16,038 28.40%
1988 10,930 6,108 3,500 199 20,692 29.52%
1989 14,452 8,028 4,625 143 27,328 29.38%
1990 16,434 9,107 5,208 238 30,987 29.39%
1991 18,719 10,939 6,173 319 36,150 30.26%
1992 20,157 13,205 7,064 326 40,752 32.40%
1993 21,300 15,278 7,604 413 44,595 34.26%
1994 22,538 17,806 8,759 516 49,477 35.99%
1995 21,968 19,062 9,136 539 50,705 37.59%
1996 14,558 15,894 6,904 386 37,742 42.11%
1997 7,351 10,464 4,079 231 22,125 47.02%
1998 6,082 8,997 3,371 186 18,636 48.28%
1999 5,620 8,860 3,232 184 17,896 49.51%
2000 5,310 8,560 3,010 159 17,039 50.24%
2001 5,184 8,962 3,188 178 17,512 51.18%
2002 5,205 8,929 3,103 175 17,412 51.28%
2003 5,081 8,905 3,529 154 17,669 50.40%
2004 4,309 7,939 3,212 173 15,633 50.78%
Cumulative 225,100 196,383 91,017 4,770 517,270 37.96%

Source: CDC. Deaths among Adults and Adolescents with AIDS by Race/Ethnicity, 1985-2004, United States. Black AIDS Institute requested data.

Blacks' Share

Blacks as Percentage of Total AIDS Deaths (as of 2004)
Whites: 43 percent
Blacks: 38 percent
Latinos: 18 percent
Other Ethnicities: 1 percent
Blacks as Percentage of Total AIDS Deaths (as of 2004)
Source: CDC. Deaths among Adults and Adolescents with AIDS by Race/Ethnicity, 1985-2004, United States. Black AIDS Institute requested data.

No. 2 Cause

Five Leading Causes of Death Among Blacks, Ages 25-44 (as of 2002)
  1. Heart Disease
  2. HIV Infection
  3. Unintentional Injury
  4. Assault
  5. Malignant Tumors
Source: CDC. National Vital Statistics Reports, Deaths: Leading Causes for 2002. Public Health Service, 2003 (Vol. 53, No. 17)


The National Picture: Black AIDS State-by-State

Percentage of people living with AIDS in each state who is African American, as of 2004. In 15 states, more than half of the population of people living with AIDS is Black.

Source: Statehealthfacts.org. All percentages have been rounded.

The National Picture: Black AIDS State-by-State
Click on image to enlarge.


State-by-State Black AIDS Rates vs. Black Census Figures

  % of AIDS Cases % of Black Pop.     % of AIDS Cases % of Black Pop.
Alabama 63% 26% Missouri 41% 11%
Alaska 10% 3% Montana 4% <1%
Arizona 9% 3% Nebraska 25% 4%
Arkansas 40% 16% Nevada 22% 7%
California 19% 6% New Hampshire 12% 1%
Colorado 14% 4% New Jersey 55% 13%
Connecticut 33% 9% New Mexico 4% 2%
Delaware 68% 19% New York 46% 15%
District of Columbia 82% 57% North Carolina 69% 21%
North Dakota 16% 1%
Florida 49% 15% Ohio 42% 12%
Georgia 70% 29% Oklahoma 21% 7%
Hawaii 5% 2% Oregon 7% 2%
Idaho 4% <1% Pennsylvania 53% 10%
Illinois 52% 15% Rhode Island 27% 5%
Indiana 33% 8% South Carolina 73% 29%
Iowa 18% 2% South Dakota 16% 1%
Kansas 21% 6% Tennessee 52% 16%
Kentucky 31% 7% Texas 35% 11%
Louisiana 66% 32% Utah 8% 1%
Maine 6% 1% Vermont 10% 1%
Maryland 80% 27% Virginia 59% 19%
Massachusetts 29% 6% Washington 14% 3%
Michigan 58% 14% West Virginia 22% 3%
Minnesota 31% 4% Wisconsin 37% 6%
Mississippi 73% 37% Wyoming 3% 1%

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention-Surveillance and Epidemiology, Special Data Request, November 2005. Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Estimates based on the Census Bureau's March 2004 and 2005 Current Population Survey (CPS: Annual Social and Economic Supplements).




  
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This article was provided by Black AIDS Institute. It is a part of the publication We're the Ones We've Been Waiting For. Visit Black AIDS Institute's website to find out more about their activities and publications.
 

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