The Black Epidemic: By the Numbers

HIV Infection in America

Race of Newly Infected An estimated 56,300 people were newly infected in 2006, the most recent year for which data is available. The racial breakdown among them was: Black 45 percent White 35 percent Latino 17 percent Other Ethnicities 3 percent	Race of All HIV-Positive An estimated 1.1 million people are HIV positive in the United States. The racial breakdown among them is: Black 46.1 percent White 34.6 percent Latino 17.5 percent Other Ethnicities 1.8 percent
Rate of Infection Black Americans were infected at a rate seven times that of whites in 2006 -- and Black women were infected at a rate almost 15 times that of whites. The number of people infected per 100,000, by race, was: Among Blacks 83.7 Among Latinos 29.3 Among Native Americans 14.6 Among Whites 11.5 Among Asian/Pacific Islander 10.3	Infection Over Time Black Americans' share of new infections has grown steadily over time. By the late 1980s, Blacks began accounting for the largest share of new infections. Estimated new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, by race/ethnicity, extended back-calculation model, 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, 1977-2006:

HIV Infections, Up Close

Among Women An estimated 14,410 Black, white and Latina women were newly infected in 2006. The racial breakdown among them was: Black 61 percent White 23 percent Latina 16 percent	Among Men An estimated 39,820 Black, white and Latino men were newly infected in 2006. The racial breakdown among them was: Black 46 percent White 36 percent Latino 18 percent
Among Gay and Bisexual Men Gay and bisexual men accounted for more than half of all new infections in 2006. The racial breakdown among them was: Black 46 percent White 35 percent Latino 19 percent	Where Newly HIV-Positive Live The South is the modern epidemic's geographic frontline, in part because of its sizable Black population. The regional breakdown for new infections in 2006 was: South 46.7 percent Northeast 25.4 percent West 16.1 percent Midwest 11.6 percent

Map of the Black AIDS Epidemic

Click to enlarge

Black communities in the Northeast and Southeast -- particularly in Florida, Maryland and New York -- had the highest rates of HIV infection between 2002 and 2006. Overall, the prevalence of HIV among Blacks is nearly eight times that among whites.*

Sources:
CDC, HIV/AIDS Surveillance by Race/Ethnicity, slide set, accessed December 17, 2008, at www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/slides/race-ethnicity/index.htm.
*CDC, HIV Prevalence Estimates -- United States, 2006, MMWR, 57(39);1073-1076.

HIV Testing and Transmission in America

Race of Americans Tested One in ten Americans said in 2006 that they got tested for HIV in the previous year, but Blacks tested at higher rates than any other racial or ethnic group. The share of people who reported getting tested was: Among Blacks 21.7 Among Latinos 12.6 Among Whites 8	Race of Undiagnosed HIV-Positive An estimated one in five HIV positive Americans don't know they are infected.* But the most recent race-based data shows more than half of positive Blacks are undiagnosed. Source: Glynn MK and Rhodes P. Estimated HIV Prevalence in the United States at the end of 2003. Presentation at the 2005 National HIV Prevention Conference, June 14, 2005. Cited in CDC presentation to Black AIDS Institute physicians' forum, October 2006. * CDC, HIV Prevalence Estimates -- United States, 2006, MMWR, 57(39);1073-1076.
How Black Men Get Infected Male-to-male sexual contact was the primary risk factor for 72 percent of all men infected in 2006. Among Black men who tested positive, risk factors included: Male-to-male sex 63 percent Heterosexual sex 20 percent Injection drug use 12 percent IDU and male-to-male sex 4 percent	Undiagnosed Gay and Bisexual Men A five-city study published in 2005 found 46 percent of Black gay and bisexual men to be HIV positive; well over half of them did not know it. The percentage of undiagnosed infections was: Among Blacks 67 Among Latinos 48 Among Multiracial 50 percent Among White 18
How Black Women Get Infected Black women got infected at a rate 18 times that of whites in 2006. Risk factors included: Sex with men 80 percent Injection drug use 20 percent	How STDs Help HIV A person with an STD is two to five times more likely to contract HIV when exposed to it, and HIV positive people who have an STD are more infectious.* In 2006, Blacks had the highest rates of all STDs. Infection rate among Black women vs. white women for: Chlamydia 7x higher Gonorrhea 14x higher Syphilis 16x higher Infection rate among Black men vs. white men for: Chlamydia 11x higher Gonorrhea 25x higher Syphilis 5x higher Sources: CDC, Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2006. November 2007. *CDC, The Role of STD Detection and Treatment in HIV Prevention -- CDC Fact Sheet, accessed on December 17, 2008, at www.cdc.gov/std/hiv/STDFactSTD&HIV.htm#MoreInfo. 54(24);597-601.

HIV Treatment and Death in America

Who's Dying In 2006, 7,426 Black Americans died from AIDS -- more than twice that of any other group, but 1,253 fewer than the previous year. The racial breakdown for all Americans killed by AIDS as of 2006 is: Black 38.5 percent White 42.3 percent Latino 14.2 percent

Who's Living Black Americans are less likely to live 10 years with HIV infection. The share of people diagnosed between 1997 and 2004 who were still alive after nine years is: Among Blacks 66 percent Among Native Americans 67 percent Among Latinos 74 percent Among Whites 75 percent Among Asian/Pacific Islanders 81 percent

Advanced Disease Since combination therapy became available in the mid-1990s, Blacks have represented the largest share of people with HIV infections that have advanced to AIDS. Proportion of AIDS cases among adults and adolescents by race/ethnicity and year of diagnosis, United States and dependent areas, 1985-2006: Source: CDC, AIDS Surveillance -- General Epidemiology through 2006, slide set accessed on December 20, 2008 at www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/slides/epidemiology/index.htm. Note: Data have been adjusted for reporting delays.