CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS: While estimated new HIV infection rates declined 23% in the United States from 2012 to 2022, a KFF Health News-Associated Press analysis found the rate has not fallen for Latinos as much as it has for other racial and ethnic groups.
The analysis found Latinos are experiencing a disproportionate number of new infections and diagnoses across the U.S., with diagnosis rates highest in the Southeast.
African Americans continue to have the highest HIV rates in the U.S. overall, but Latinos made up the largest share of new HIV diagnoses and infections among gay and bisexual men in 2022, per the most recent data available.
Latinos are about 19% of the U.S. population but accounted for about 33% of new HIV infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The federal government launched a campaign in 2019 to end the HIV epidemic, and has funneled millions of dollars annually to certain areas with the highest infection rates. But there’s no clear mandate for that money to be spent on a particular group, leaving it up to the cities, counties, and states to come up with targeted strategies. Public health experts and advocates say what’s needed is a better way to address systemic, cultural and economic inequities that Latinos face, and that includes more money.
Here are some ways to report on HIV rates among Latinos and the potential gaps in health care in your areas. ___ READ AP’S STORY ___ STATES AND COUNTIES .
