AVERT - AVERTing HIV and AIDS

Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino communities have been disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS in America.

In 2008 the largest percentage of new HIV diagnoses were among those aged 40-44 years.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publish HIV statistics for 37 states and 5 dependent areas with confidential name-based HIV infection reporting. AIDS statistics include all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as the 5 dependent areas.

HIV and AIDS statistics by race/ethnicity

Blacks/African Americans accounted for 52% of new HIV diagnoses and 48% of AIDS diagnoses in 2008. Of the total number of people living with HIV in 2007 in the 37 U.S. states and 5 dependent areas, 46% were black/African American; 32% white; 20% Hispanic/Latino; 0.8% multiple races; 0.6% Asian; 0.4% American Indian/Alaska Native; and 0.04% Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.

Among men diagnosed with AIDS in 2008, 52% of black/African American men, 63% of Hispanic/Latino men and 78% of white men became infected with HIV through male-to-male sexual contact. Among women diagnosed with AIDS in 2008, 77% of black/African American women, 75% of Hispanic/Latino women and 65% of white women became infected through heterosexual contact.

Estimated adult and adolescent HIV and AIDS diagnoses in 2008, by race/ethnicity

Race/ethnicity HIV AIDS
Males Females Total* Males Females Total*
White 9,918 1,833
 11,783
 8,981 1,583
 10,571
Black/African American 14,283 6,907
 21,312
 11,974 6,341 18,341
Hispanic/Latino 6,557 1,681
 8,260
 6,240 1,619 7,864
Asian 363 78
 444
 430 97 527
American Indian/Alaska Native 167 52
 220
 155 44 199
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 30
 6
 36
 48 7 55
Multiple races
 277 104
 384
 310 121
 435
Total* 31,595 10,662
 42,439
 28,137 9,813
 37,991

* Values in each column may not sum to the column total, as the column totals for estimated numbers were calculated independently of the values for the subpopulations.

Estimated HIV diagnoses by race/ethnicity and year

Race/ethnicity Year of diagnosis
2005 2006 2007 2008
White 11,430 11,011 11,965 11,783
Black/African American 19,057 18,864 20,179 21,312
Hispanic/Latino 8,130 8,030 8,420 8,260
Asian 341 334 434 444
American Indian/Alaska Native 183 168 204 220
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 46 44 42 36
Multiple races 481 351
 418
 384

Estimated AIDS diagnoses by race/ethnicity and year

Race/ethnicity Year of diagnosis All years*
2005 2006 2007 2008
White 10,886 10,689 10,413 10,571 420,024
Black/African American 18,272 17,614 17,740 18,341 453,369
Hispanic/Latino 8,040 7,876 7,819 7,864 212,664
Asian 398 443 488 527 8,315
American Indian/Alaska Native 174 156 156 199 3,743
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 52 54 60 55 840
Multiple races 455 463
 477
 435
 7,058

* Includes all years from the beginning of the epidemic to 2008.

HIV diagnoses in 2008 by race/ethnicity

Pie chart of HIV diagnosis by race/ethnicity 2008

AIDS diagnoses in 2008 by race/ethnicity

Pie chart of AIDS diagnosis by race/ethnicity 2008

Estimated adult and adolescent males living with an AIDS diagnosis in 2007 by race/ethnicity and exposure category

Race/ethnicity Transmission route
 Total*
Male-to-male sexual contact Injection drug use Male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use High-risk heterosexual contact Other
White 107,544 12,236 13,013 5,165 1,717 139,676
Black/African American 62,124 34,603 10,946 24,861 1,054 133,588
Hispanic/Latino 42,821 19,293 5,467
 8,536
 623
 76,740
Asian 2,912 235 186 377 87
 3,798
American Indian/Alaska Native 756
 193
 240
 83
 12 1,284
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 288 14 20
 21
 2
 346
Multiple races 1,589 519
 315
 300
 29
 2,751
Total** 218,136 67,121 30,196 39,353 3,527 358,332

* Because totals are calculated independently of the subpopulations, the values in each column may not sum exactly to the figure in the 'Total' column. **Includes persons of unknown race/ethnicity.

Estimated adult and adolescent females living with an AIDS diagnosis in 2007 by race/ethnicity and exposure category

Race/ethnicity Transmission route
 Total*
Injection
drug use		 High-risk heterosexual
contact		 Other
White 7,863 11,347 586 19,796
Black/African American 19,877 44,007 1,382 65,267
Hispanic/Latino 6,474 14,145
 527
 21,146
Asian 85 594
 91
 770
American Indian/Alaska Native 159 227
 14
 400
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 11 60
 6 77
Multiple races 360 689
 34
 1,082
Total** 34,845 71,088
 2,643 108,576

* Because totals are calculated independently of the subpopulations, the values in each column may not sum exactly to the figure in the 'Total' column. **Includes persons of unknown race/ethnicity.

See our AIDS statistics by transmission route and gender for further information.

HIV and AIDS statistics by age

More than half a million people diagnosed with AIDS have died in the USA. Around two-thirds of these people did not live to the age of 45.

In 2008 the age group 40-44 accounted for the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses, at 39.4 per 100,000 population. The age group 25-49 accounted for around two-thirds of all new HIV diagnoses in 2008.

Between 2005 and 2008 the number of AIDS diagnoses decreased among those aged 30-44. The numbers increased among those aged 20-29 and 55-64.

HIV diagnoses by age, 2005-2008

Age at diagnosis Year of diagnosis
2005 2006 2007 2008
Under 13 217 185 192 182
13-14 44 50 35 33
15-19 1,299 1,465 1,741 1,895
20-24 4,167 4,377 4,883 5,518
25-29 4,981 5,120 5,630 5,784
30-34 5,433 4,902 5,000 5,228
35-39 6,361 5,919
 5,921
 5,578
40-44 6,376 6,231
 6,299
 6,000
45-49 4,635 4,569
 5,061
 5,182
50-54 2,943 2,995
 3,377
 3,358
55-59 1,686 1,557
 1,831
 1,942
60-64 800 756
 910
 981
65 or older 727 677
 782
 760

AIDS diagnoses by age 2005-2008 and deaths among those living with AIDS in 2007

Age at diagnosis or death Year of diagnosis
 Deaths
by year
2005 2006 2007 2008 All years* 2007 All years*
Under 13 55 42 30 41 9,776 8 5,178
13-14 76 77 73 48 1,275 11
 298
15-19 431 409 456 507 6,899 42 1,213
20-24 1,747 1,669 1,961 1,997 42,052 181 9,477
25-29 3,240 3,428 3,491 3,669 129,811 539 46,775
30-34 4,929 4,414 4,299 4,569 216,213 967
 101,544
35-39 6,750 6,433 6,032 5,849 236,037 2,049 125,707
40-44 7,731 7,387 7,022 6,836 192,865 3,338
 114,012
45-49 5,988 5,731 6,015 6,070 124,582 3,681 81,281
50-54 3,669 3,758 3,775 4,051 70,564 3,134 50,314
55-59 1,985 2,080 2,122 2,286 38,185 1,968 28,667
60-64 903 990 1,037 1,167 20,340 1,067
 16,327
65 or older 773 877 842 900 17,790 1,103 16,705
Total** 38,277 37,296 37,154 37,991 1,106,391 17,619 576,384

* From the beginning of the epidemic through 2007. ** Because totals are calculated independently of the subpopulations, the values in each column may not sum exactly to the figure in the 'Total' row.

Notes

  • The latest statistics on HIV and AIDS in the USA were published in June 2010 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In order to make better use of the data collected, the CDC made a number of changes from previous reports, including replacing the older definition 'HIV/AIDS' with 'diagnosis of HIV infection'. 'Summary of Changes to the National HIV Surveillance Report' contains more information.
  • AIDS statistics include data from 50 states, the District of Columbia and 5 dependent U.S. areas. HIV statistics are based on data from only 37 states and 5 U.S. dependent areas. Although all 50 states have now implemented confidential name-based HIV infection reporting, only 37 states have been doing so long enough for the CDC to apply statistical adjustments. The HIV Surveillance Report for 2012 (published in 2014) will be the first time HIV data from all 50 states will be included.
  • States and areas that use confidential name-based HIV infection reporting take personal details after diagnosis of HIV infection. When this data is submitted to the CDC all personal identifying information is removed.
  • There is often a delay between the time of diagnosis of HIV or AIDS, or the time of death, and the time at which the event is reported. For this reason the CDC estimates the number of people living with HIV or AIDS by adjusting for reporting delays. No adjustment is made for incomplete reporting.
  • The term 'living with AIDS' includes every living person who has ever received an AIDS diagnosis, regardless of their current state of health. The term 'living with a diagnosis of HIV infection' includes every living person with a diagnosis of HIV infection regardless of stage of disease at diagnosis.
  • On this page 'adults and adolescents' are defined as persons aged 13 years or more. The term 'transmission route' refers to the most probable route of transmission of HIV infection. The term 'male-to-male sexual contact' includes gay men, bisexual men and some men who consider themselves to be neither gay nor bisexual. The 'heterosexual contact' category comprises persons who report specific heterosexual contact with a person with, or at high risk for, HIV infection (e.g., an injection drug user). This does not include adults and adolescents born in, or who had sex with someone born in, a country where heterosexual transmission was believed to be the main mode of HIV transmission, unless they meet the criteria stated in the previous sentence.

Sources

Last updated July 20, 2010