Office of Minority Health

More than 1.1 million people are living with HIV in the United States, and nearly 40,000 people are newly diagnosed with HIV each year. HIV is still a major problem in the U.S., with both racial and ethnic minorities bearing the greatest burden.

HIV Statistics at a Glance

• Almost 3 out of 4 new HIV diagnoses are among racial and ethnic minorities.
• In 2017, African Americans accounted for 43% (16,694) of HIV diagnoses and 13% of the population.
• In 2017, Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 26% (9,908) of HIV diagnoses and 18% of the population.
• From 2010 to 2016, the annual number of HIV diagnoses within the American Indian/Alaska Native population increased 46% overall, and grew by 81% among American Indian/Alaska Native gay and bisexual men.
• All people living with HIV should have access to and be on treatment that suppresses their viral load; however, only 58% of racial and ethnic minorities and 48% of American Indians/Alaska Natives living with HIV in the U.S. have a suppressed or undetectable viral load.
• Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective in preventing the acquisition of HIV.
• While approximately 1.1 million adults are at risk for contracting HIV, in 2016 only 78,360 persons filled prescriptions for PrEP in the United States.
• Among PrEP users, 68.7% were non-Hispanic white, 11.2% were African American, 13.1% were Hispanic/Latinos and 4.5% were Asian Americans.
  From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Ready, Set, PrEP

Ready, Set, PrEP is a new nationwide program led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a key component of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE): A Plan for America initiative. The program was created to expand access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a prescription medicine that helps prevent people who do not have HIV from getting it. Just one pill daily is all it takes to gain this life-changing layer of protection. The program launched in December 2019 and will provide PrEP for up to 200,000 qualifying recipients for each year of the initiative.

To qualify for the Ready, Set, PrEP program, an individual must:

1. Test negative for HIV;
2. Have a valid prescription from their healthcare provider; and
3. Not have insurance that covers prescription drugs.

To find out if you are eligible and enroll, visit GetYourPrEP.com  or call (855) 447-8410.

Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America

During his 2019 State of the Union Address, the President announced the goal to end the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years. As a result, HHS launched the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE): A Plan for America initiative, which will leverage data and tools, to reduce new HIV infections in the U.S. by 75% in five years and by 90% by 2030. These efforts focus on four key strategies that together can end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.

1. Diagnose all people living with HIV as early as possible after transmission.
2. Treat HIV rapidly and effectively to achieve sustained viral suppression.
3. Prevent HIV transmission among people at highest risk with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), syringe services programs (SSPs) and prevention education.
4. Respond rapidly to detect and respond to HIV outbreaks to get prevention and treatment services to those who need them.

Watch how leaders across HHS discuss the plan to end the HIV epidemic in the United States in the next ten years and discuss how a once-distant dream is within reach. https://youtu.be/wFvQIsie1M0

What Can You Do to Help End the HIV Epidemic?

1. Be an advocate
2. Educate others
3. Community engagement
4. Join the conversation by following the hashtag #ReadySetPrep

Data and Statistics

• AIDSinfo: offers access to the latest, federally approved HIV/AIDS medical practice guidelines, HIV treatment and prevention clinical trials, and other research information for health care providers, researchers, people affected by HIV/AIDS, and the general public.
• HIV Fact Sheets: Provides data about how HIV affects specific populations in the United States and information about HIV risk behaviors, prevention tools, testing and more.
• Office of Minority Health (OMH) Minority Population Profiles: These profiles provide detailed information about HIV/AIDS for the different racial and ethnic minority populations.
• American Indian/Alaska Native
• Asian Americans
• Black/African Americans
• Hispanic/Latino Americans
• Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Projects and Partnerships

• Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America: An HHS initiative to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030.
• Minority HIV/AIDS Fund: Improves prevention, care, and treatment for racial and ethnic minorities across federal programs through innovation, systems change, and strategic partnerships and collaboration.
• THRIVE: Supports state and local health department demonstration projects to develop community collaboratives that provide comprehensive HIV prevention and care services for men who have sex with men (MSM) of color.

Resources and Publications

• CDC's HIV Nexus: A one-stop location for clinicians to find information across the HIV continuum, including up-to-date tools and guidelines for your practice, and educational materials for your patients.
• Visit the CDC HIV Testing webpage to learn about the importance of HIV testing and to find other prevention services near you.
• HIV.gov for information about HIV, updates on the EHE initiative and HIV services for people most at risk for or living with HIV.
• HRSA Health Centers are community-based and patient-directed organizations that deliver comprehensive, culturally competent, high-quality primary health care services, including HIV testing and PrEP access.
• HRSA's Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: Through this program, people living with HIV who have no insurance or are underinsured can get the HIV medical care and other support services they need.