HIV Rates Declining Among White and Black Men, Rising for Latinos

Preventative methods to lower HIV infection rates are reportedly working for White and Black gay and bisexual populations but are recording rising among Latinos, according to POZ Magazine.

In an announcement released Sept. 27 for National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (#NGMHAAD) 2023, the magazine called attention to the HIV/AIDS epidemic's disproportionate impact on men who have sex with men. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gay and bisexual men represented over half (57%) of the HIV population in the United States.

"While new HIV diagnoses dropped by 34% for white gay and bisexual men from 2008 to 2021, there was only a 4% decrease for Black gay and bisexual men. Among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men, new HIV diagnoses actually increased 23%," shared AIDSVu.org, which creates interactive maps and graphics using HIV data. "At a time when new diagnoses for gay and bisexual men are overall declining, this increase shows how prominent this disparity is for gay and bisexual men of color."

Racial disparities are also visible in health care. According to AIDSVu.org, In 2021, Black gay and bisexual men and Hispanic gay and bisexual men living with HIV had lower rates of viral suppression, 63% and 67% respectively, compared to white gay and bisexual men living with HIV (74%).

"Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a tool that can be used to prevent HIV transmission," AIDSVu.org shared. "However, PrEP use varies widely across the U.S. For example, there are 54.1 male PrEP users per 1,000 gay and bisexual men in Kentucky, compared to 161.3 male PrEP users per 1,000 gay and bisexual men in New York. Access to PrEP is an essential aspect of overall access to health care, but there are still barriers that prevent its wider use."