Epidemiology of HlV/AlDS among non-Hispanic black women in the United States

Background: HIV/AIDS has emerged as a persistent health threat to black women in the United States. For the past decade, HIV disease has been among the top 10 leading causes of death for this population. Methods: We analyzed national HIV surveillance data from 29 states with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting that have conducted integrated HIV/AIDS surveillance since at least 1998. We also analyzed AIDS surveillance data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Results: In 2002, black women represented 14% of all women in the 29 states whose HIV data were analyzed but 72.3% of annual HIV infection diagnoses among women. In that same year, black women were diagnosed with HIV infection at a rate of 68.7 per 100,000, approximately 23 times the rate for white women (three per 100,000) and four times that for Hispanic women (17.2 per 100,000). Likewise, in 2002, black women represented 13% of all women in the 50 states and the District of Columbia but an estimated 67.8% of new AIDS diagnoses among women. In that same year, black women were diagnosed with AIDS at a rate of 48 per 100,000, approximately 23 times the rate for white women (2.1 per 100,000) and more than four times that for Hispanic women (10.6 per 100,000). Conclusions: Because block women are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, effective strategies are needed to prevent new HIV infections, to detect HIV infections early and to assure adequate treatment for black women who are infected with HIV.