HIV Incidence Highest Among Blacks; Lower Rate of Ongoing Care vs Whites, Latinos: Study

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According to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), non-Hispanic Blacks and African Americans have the highest AIDS incidence rates yet they are the least likely to get current medical care for their condition.

In the report, from 2011 to 2013, less than 40 percent of black HIV patients received consistednt medical treatmet, while 50 percent of their White and Hispanic counterparts opted to receive continuous care. Additionally, black women with the virus had it better than the men. While 44 percent of black women got routine care, there are only 35 percent in black men. The agency noted that most black HIV patients who got consistent retention in care are heterosexuals.

Aids Blog noted that the African American gay and bisexual teens and young adults aged 13 to 24 had one of the highest HIV diagnosis rates among their race. Care retention in this group was considered to be lowest as well partly due to stigma, discrimination and homophobia.

However, the prevalence of HIV diagnosis is not caused by blacks engaging in more risky behaviors than Whites, Latinos and Asians. Other social and economic factors such as limited access to health care, housing, poverty and HIV prevention education play a role in the statistics.

Dr. Jonathan Mermin, the director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said that consistent care matters for HIV patients.

"Consistent care matters. It enables people with HIV to live longer, healthier lives, and it prevents new infections," he said, as reported by US News & World Report. "And closing this gap in care will be essential if we are to see the narrowing racial divide in HIV diagnoses close completely."

The NH Voice reports that the CDC is working hard to close the disparity among patients of different races.

"CDC has been working for many years to eliminate the HIV disparities that exist within the black community, while we are seeing signs of success, we must continue our focus on prevention strategies that will have the greatest impact on African American communities and the nation overall", Dr. Eugene McCray, CDC director for HIV/AIDS Prevention division.

According to the report, the agency is pursuing strategies that will help give better access to care and improve retention in care to name a few by partnering with local, state and federal agencies across the country.