According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that more than 1 million people are living in the United States with HIV, and these numbers are expected to increase. An additional 250,000 people living with HIV who are aware of their status may not be getting the care they need or prevention support to help them protect their partners.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV damages a person’s body by destroying specific blood cells, called CD4+ T cells, which are crucial to helping the body fight diseases. AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection when a person’s immune system is damaged so badly that it struggles to fight opportunistic infections and cancer.
Racial and ethnic minority groups, specifically African-Americans and Latinos, are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS.
Estimated Rates of New HIV Infections, by Race/Ethnicity and Gender, 2006
(Rate per 100,000 Population)
| Black Men |
115.7
|
| Hispanic/Latino Men |
43.1
|
| White Men |
19.6
|
| |
|
| Black Women |
55.7
|
| Hispanic/Latino Women |
14.4
|
| White Women |
3.8
|
Source: CDC. Subpopulation Estimates from the HIV Incidence Surveillance System – United States. 2006. MMWR.2008; 57 (38): 985-989.
For more basic statistics on HIV click on the following links:
CDC HIV among African-Americans
CDC transmission rates in the U.S.
CDC basic statistics
CDC data on people living with HIV in the U.S.
CDC fact sheets
For more information about HIV/AIDS, download the HIV and Its Treatment What You Should Know: Health Information for Patients PDF.