HIV/AIDS among African Americans

Fact Sheet: HIV/AIDS among African Americans

In the United States, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is a health crisis for African Americans. In 2002, HIV/AIDS was among the top 3 causes of death for African American men aged 25–54 years and among the top 4 causes of death for African American women aged 25–54 years. It was the number 1 cause of death for African American women aged 25–34 years [1].

STATISTICS

HIV/AIDS in 2004

• According to the 2000 census, African Americans make up 12.3% of the US population. However, African Americans accounted for 19,206 (50%) of the estimated 38,730 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States in the 35 areas with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting [2].*
• During 2001–2004, the rate of HIV/AIDS diagnoses for African Americans decreased, although the rate for African Americans was still the highest rate for all racial and ethnic groups [3].
• The primary mode of HIV transmission among African American men was sexual contact with other men, followed by heterosexual contact and injection drug use [2].
• The primary mode of HIV transmission among African American women was heterosexual contact, followed by injection drug use [2].
• Of the estimated 145 infants perinatally infected with HIV, 105 (73%) were African American (CDC, HIV/AIDS Reporting System, unpublished data, June 2005).
• Of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of 25 whose diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was made during 2001–2004 in the 33 states with HIV reporting, 11,554 (61%) were African American [4].
• Of the estimated 80,187 African Americans whose diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was made during 2001–2004 in the 33 states with HIV reporting, 49,704 (62%) were males, and 30,483 (38%) were females [4].

Race/ethnicity of persons (including children) with HIV/AIDS diagnosed during 2004

Transmission categories for African American adults and adolescents with HIV/AIDS diagnosed during 2001–2004

Note. Based on data from 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting.
Source. CDC. Trends in HIV/AIDS diagnoses — 33 states, 2001 – 2004. MMWR 2005;54:1149–1153.

AIDS in 2004

• African Americans accounted for 20,965 (49%) of the 42,514 estimated AIDS cases diagnosed in the United States (including US dependencies, possessions, and associated nations) [2].
• The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American adults and adolescents was 10 times the rate for whites and almost 3 times the rate for Hispanics. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American women was 23 times the rate for white women. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American men was 8 times the rate for white men [2].
• The 178,233 African Americans living with AIDS in the United States accounted for 43% of all people in the United States living with AIDS [2].
• Of the 48 US children (younger than 13 years of age) who had a new AIDS diagnosis, 29 were African American [2].
• Since the beginning of the epidemic, African Americans have accounted for 379,278 (40%) of the estimated 944,306 AIDS cases diagnosed [2].
• From the beginning of the epidemic through December 2004, an estimated 201,045 African Americans with AIDS died [2].
• Of persons whose diagnosis of AIDS had been made since 1996, a smaller proportion of African Americans (64%) were alive after 9 years compared with American Indians and Alaska Natives (65%), Hispanics (72%), whites (74%), and Asians and Pacific Islanders (81%) [2].