In a study released Tuesday, the CDC provided its first-ever comprehensive national estimates regarding the risk of HIV infection. While the numbers show an overall decrease in rates of HIV infection, they also highlight large disparities in risk across different populations.
Here are four major takeaways from the CDC report.
1. Gay and bisexual men of color are at highest risk: Half of homosexual African-American men will face an HIV diagnosis in their lifetime and a quarter of gay Hispanic men will face infection while only 1 in 11 gay white men are likely to be infected in their lifetimes.
2. African-Americans are at greatest risk amongst all ethnic groups: Though studies show that African-Americans engage in the same rate of risky sexual behavior as other Americans, their rate of HIV infection is substantially higher than other groups. African-American men are seven times more likely to be diagnosed than white men. While 1 in 880 white women and 1 in 227 Hispanic women will face diagnosis, 1 in 48 African-American women are projected to be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetimes.
3. Citizens in the Southern United States at higher risk: The states where people are at the highest risk of HIV infection are Maryland (1 in 49), Georgia (1 in 51), Florida (1 in 54), and Louisiana (1 in 56). Washington, D.C., is the territory of highest risk at 1 in 13.
4. Diagnosis varies by transmission: While gay and bisexual men continue to be most affected by HIV (1 in 6), intravenous drug injectors continue to contract HIV at high rates — 1 in 23 women who inject drugs are projected for infection, while their male counterparts are slightly less likely at 1 in 36.
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