The incidence of HIV across the U.S. has gone down 73% since the first cases were reported in the country four decades ago, but the virus continues to ravage Latino and Black populations.
By the numbers: The Latino communities face four times the rates of HIV infection than white non-Hispanics in the U.S., per the CDC.
- Latino gay men and Latina heterosexual women are the second and sixth groups most affected, according to CDC data on new diagnoses.
- Incidence rates among 25-to-34-year-old Latino men have gone up 10% since 2014.
The bottom line: Hispanics and Latinos have lower viral suppression rates than the overall HIV-positive population in the U.S., which indicates they are facing barriers to care and not receiving antiretroviral treatments as needed.
- They also have lower prescription access to PrEP, which helps prevent infection.