Skip Navigation

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office of Minority Health

Office of Minority Health (OMH) Logo

HIV/AIDS and African Americans

Although African Americans represent 13% of the U.S. population, they account for 44% of HIV infection cases in 2016.

  • African American males have 8.6 times the AIDS rate as white males.
  • African American females have 18.6 times the AIDS rate as white females.
  • African American men are almost 6 times as likely to die from HIV/AIDS as non-Hispanic white men.
  • African American women are almost 18 times as likely to die from HIV/AIDS as non-Hispanic white women.
  • In 2016, African Americans were 8.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV infection, as compared to the white population.

 

HIV Infection Cases and Rates (Adults)

Estimated number of diagnosed cases and rates (per 100,000) of HIV infection, 2016

 
# Cases
Rate
African American/
White Ratio
African American males
12,890
82.8
7.8
White males
8,879
10.6
 
 
African American females
4,560
26.2
15.4
White females
1,450
1.7
 
 
African American (total, all ages)
17,528
43.6
8.4
White (total, all ages)
10,345
5.2
 

Source: CDC 2017. HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2016, v.28. Table 3a.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-report-2016-vol-28.pdf [PDF | 5.77MB]

 

HIV Infection Cases and Rates (Children <13 years)

Estimated number of diagnosed cases and rates (per 100,000) of HIV infection, 2016

 
# Cases
Rate
African American
78
1.1
White
16
0.1
Total Population
122
0.2

Source: CDC 2017. HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2016, v.28. Table 3a.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-report-2016-vol-28.pdf [PDF | 5.77MB]

 

HIV Infection Cases (Adults and Children)

Estimated number of cases of HIV infection by year of diagnosis, 2016

 
#Cases
% of total cases
African American
17,528
44%
White
10,345
26%
Total Population
39,782
 

Source: CDC 2017. HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2016, v.28. Table 3a.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-report-2016-vol-28.pdf [PDF | 5.77B]

 

Estimated number of persons living with HIV infection by year, 2015

 
#Cases
% of total cases
African American
405,857
41.7%
White
298,670
30.7%
Total Population
973,846
 

Source: CDC 2017. HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2016, v.28. Table 20a.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-report-2016-vol-28.pdf [PDF | 5.77MB]

 

AIDS Cases and Rates (Adults)

Estimated number of cases and rates (per 100,000) of AIDS, 2016

 
# Cases
Rate
African American/
White Ratio
African American males
5,879
37.8
8.6
White males
3,713
4.4
 
 
African American females
2,597
14.9
18.6
White females
724
0.8
 
 
African American (both sexes)
8,501
21.1
9.6
White (both sexes)
4,442
2.2
 

Source: CDC 2017. HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2016, v.28. Table 4a.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-report-2016-vol-28.pdf [PDF | 5.77MB]

 

AIDS Cases and Rates (Children <13 years)

Estimated number of diagnosed cases and rates (per 100,000) of AIDS, 2016

 
Commulative # Cases
# Cases
Rate
African American
5,633
25
0.3
White
1,536
5
0.0
Total Population
9,573
38
0.1

Source: CDC 2017. HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2016, v.28 Table 12a.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-report-2016-vol-28.pdf [PDF | 5.77MB]

 

AIDS Cases (Adults and Children)

Estimated number of cases of AIDS by year of diagnosis, 2016

 
Cumulative # cases
# Cases
% of total cases
African American
508,711
8,501
46.8%
White
439,998
4,442
24.5%
Total Population
1,232,346
18,160
 

Source: CDC 2017. HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2016, v.28. Table 4a.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-report-2016-vol-28.pdf [PDF | 5.77MB]

 

Death Rate

AIDS Death Rates per 100,000 population (2015)

 
African Americans
Non-Hispanic White
African American/
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
All ages, Men
24.3
4.0
6.1
All ages, Women
10.7
0.6
17.8
 
Total Population
14.0
2.0
7.0

Source: Source: CDC 2017. HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2016, v.28. Table 19 a
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-report-2016-vol-28.pdf [PDF | 5.77MB ]

 

AIDS Deaths

Estimated number of deaths, and death rates, of persons with AIDS by year of death, 2015

 
Rate
Cumulative # Deaths
# Deaths
% of total cases
African Americans
14.0
285,744
5,586
44.7%
White
2.0
279,807
3,879
31.0%
Total Population
3.9
692,789
12,497
 

Source: CDC 2017. HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2016, v.28. Table 17a.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-report-2016-vol-28.pdf [PDF | 5.77MB]

 

HIV Testing

Age-adjusted percent of HIV testing status among persons 18 years of age and over, 2015

 
Non-Hispanic Black
Non-Hispanic White
Non-Hispanic Black/
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Ever tested
58.3
35.5
1.6
Never tested
41.7
64.5
0.6

Source: CDC 2017. Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: 2015. Table A-20a.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/SHS/tables.htm
Last Modified: 1/17/2018 9:43:00 AM

OMH Home | HHS Home | USA.gov | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | HHS FOIA | Accessibility | Contact Us | Viewers & Players