HIV Testing and Outcomes Among Hispanics/Latinos — United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, 2014

Abstract

The 2015 National HIV/AIDS Strategy provides an updated plan to address health disparities in communities at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (1,2). Hispanics/Latinos* are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. In 2014, 23% of HIV diagnoses were among Hispanics/Latinos, who represented 16% of the U.S. population (3). To examine HIV testing services, CDC analyzed 2014 data from the National HIV Prevention Program Monitoring and Evaluation (NHM&E) system submitted by 60 CDC-funded health departments and 151 community-based organizations. Among Hispanics/Latinos tested, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) had the highest percentage of HIV diagnoses (2%). MSM accounted for 19.8% of HIV test events conducted among Hispanics/Latinos and 63.8% of Hispanics/Latinos who received an HIV diagnosis in non-health care settings. Approximately 60% of Hispanics/Latinos who received an HIV diagnosis were linked to HIV medical care within 90 days; this percentage was lower in the South than in other U.S. Census regions. HIV prevention programs that are focused on expanding routine HIV screening and targeting and improving linkage to medical care and other services (e.g., partner services) for Hispanics/Latinos can help identify undiagnosed HIV cases and reduce HIV transmission.

Promoting Pre-exposure Prophylaxis to Prevent HIV Infections Among Sexual and Gender Minority Hispanics/Latinxs

“…Latinxs (a gender-neutral alternative to Latinos and Latinas) are disproportionately affected by HIV, with infection rates three times higher than among non-Hispanic whites (Rao et al, 2016). Gender and sexual minority Latinxs are at particularly high risk for infection.…”

Low-Intensity Outreach to Increase Uptake of HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Among Patients with Sexually Transmitted Infections

“…The high uptake among Hispanic patients is encouraging, given that this group is disproportionately affected by HIV infection and has been underrepresented among PrEP users (8). It may be that the Hispanic patients in our setting were not aware of PrEP or its availability at KP until receiving our secure email message.…”

“…We observed variation in linkage to PrEP care by race/ethnicity, ranging from 0% of Black individuals to 32% of Hispanic individuals sent the secure email message. The high uptake among Hispanic patients is encouraging, given that this group is disproportionately affected by HIV infection and has been underrepresented among PrEP users (8). It may be that the Hispanic patients in our setting were not aware of PrEP or its availability at KP until receiving our secure email message.…”

<p>Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in the Prevention of HIV: Strategies, Target Populations and Upcoming Treatments</p>

“…Within the MSM population, black and Hispanic MSM are disproportionately affected by the slow uptake of PrEP. 42,43 A study in Atlanta, USA surveyed 436 black MSM about PrEP awareness. Black MSM unaware of PrEP had lower rates of HIV testing knowledge, less HIV testing rates, and higher rates of transactional sex.…”