The CDC released a report examining the association between social vulnerability and rates of HIV diagnoses among Black adults. The report found that rates of new HIV diagnoses were higher in communities with the highest social vulnerability, and about half of Black adults with diagnosed HIV reside in the upper quartile of socially vulnerable US Census tracts.
The report underscores the need to develop and prioritize interventions that address social determinants of health in order to address the higher risk for HIV infection among Black adults living in communities with high levels of social vulnerabilities. The US has made overall progress in reducing HIV transmission, however, HIV continues to affect some groups, including Black people, more than others due to longstanding and ingrained barriers. The report arrives ahead of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on February 7.