By the Numbers: Black HIV Testing and Infection

The State of Awareness

Percent of men saying they have seen, heard or read "a lot" about the problem of AIDS in the United States during the last year.

Know Someone With AIDS

More Black Americans than any other racial/ethnic group report knowing someone close who has AIDS, has died from AIDS or who is HIV-positive.

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:

Race of All HIV-Positive

An estimated 1.1 million people are HIV positive in the United States. The racial breakdown among them is:

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:

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:

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:

Infection rate among Black men vs. white men for:

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/STDFact-STD&HIV.htm#MoreInfo.54(24);597-601.

Among Women

An estimated 14,410 Black, white and Latina women were newly infected in 2006. The racial breakdown among them was:

Source: CDC, Subpopulation Estimates from the HIV Incidence Surveillance System -- United States, 2006, 57(36);985-989. Data not available for any other ethnicity.

Among Men

An estimated 39,820 Black, white and Latino men were newly infected in 2006. The racial breakdown among them was:

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:

How Black Women Get Infected

Black women got infected at a rate 18 times that of whites in 2006. Risk factors included:

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:

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:

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:

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:

Lifetime Testing Rate

In 2009, more than half of all Black Americans over the age of 18 report having been tested for HIV at some point in their lifetimes. That's a significantly higher testing rate than any other racial or ethnic group.

Source: CDC, Early Release of Selected Estimates Based on Data From the 2007 National Health Interview Study, June 2008.

Views on Testing and Stigma

Most Black Americans in 2009 say they think testing would not lead to stigma.

Impetus of HIV Test

Most Black Americans who take an HIV test say they specifically ask for it.

Timing of HIV Test Decision

Most Black Americans who take an HIV test say they decide to do it as part of another health visit.

Reasons for HIV Test

Most Black Americans who take an HIV test say "it just seemed like a good idea." Percentage of reasons stated by Blacks who report being tested, by men and women:

Health Care Provider Suggested HIV Testing

Among those reporting, Blacks and Latinos more often say they are counseled by health professionals to have an HIV test than whites. Percentages by race and age:

Got HIV Test in Last 12 Months

Among those reporting, Blacks more often say they got an HIV test in the last 12 months than other racial/ethnic groups. Percentages by race and age: