HIV/AIDS and Women of Color

Women of color represent a disproportionately high percentage of HIV/AIDS cases

• In 2004, HIV infection was the leading cause of death for African-American women aged 25-34.

• African-American and Latina women together represent less than one-fourth of all American women, yet they account for nearly 4/5 of all AIDS cases reported to date among women.

• African-American women represent only 14 percent of the U.S. female population, but account for 60 percent of cumulative AIDS cases among women.

• The Latina population represents only 12 percent of the female population in the United States, but accounts for 19 percent of cumulative AIDS cases among women.

• Of newly HIV-infected women, approximately 57 percent are African-American, 20 percent are Latinas, and 21 percent are white.

• The AIDS case rates (number of cases per 100,000 population) are:

- 39.8 among African-American women

- 8.9 among Latina women

- 1.8 among white women

The leading modes of infection among all women are heterosexual contact and injection drug use.

• The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 47 percent of newly reported AIDS cases among women were related to heterosexual contact. Sixteen percent were related to injection drug use.

• Men account for approximately four times as many cumulative AIDS cases as women. As the primary mode of transmission for women is heterosexual contact, there is likely to be a corresponding increase among women, especially among minorities, as African-American and Latino men are disproportionately infected.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Surveillance Report, Vol. 19