The Impact of HIV on Hispanic/Latino People in the United States

Key Facts

• Hispanic/Latino people have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS since the epidemic’s beginning, and that disparity has deepened over time.
• Between 2010-2022, while HIV diagnoses decreased by 12% overall, Hispanic/Latino people saw a 24% increase.
• Although they represent only 19% of the U.S. population, Hispanic/Latino people account for a larger share of HIV diagnoses (31%) and people estimated to be living with HIV (26%) compared to their population size.¹
• Among Hispanic/Latino people, youth and gay and bisexual men have been disproportionately impacted by HIV.
• Several challenges contribute to the epidemic among Hispanic/Latino people, including poverty, limited access to health care and insurance, lower awareness of HIV status, stigma, and language or cultural barriers in health care settings.
• Recent data indicates mixed trends, including increasing new HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino people overall, especially among men, but a leveling off among women (see Figure 1), largely related to transmission patterns: HIV diagnoses attributed to male-to-male sexual contact increased but those attributed to heterosexual sex and injection drug use decreased.
• As the largest and one of the fastest growing ethnic minority groups in the U.S., and one of the only groups to see an increase in HIV diagnoses in recent years, addressing HIV in the Hispanic/Latino community takes on increased importance in efforts to address the epidemic across the country.

Overview

• Today, there are more than 1.2 million people estimated to be living with HIV in the U.S., including 316,900 who are Hispanic/Latino.
• Although Hispanic/Latino people represent only 19% of the U.S. population, they accounted for 31% of new HIV diagnoses in 2022 (see Figure 2) and an estimated 26% of people estimated to be living with HIV.
• Disparities persist in awareness of HIV status, linkage to care, and viral suppression between Hispanic/Latino people and White people.
• Between 2010-2022, while HIV diagnoses decreased by 12% overall, Hispanic/Latino people saw a 24% increase.
• The increase in the number of annual HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino people in recent years was concentrated among men who accounted for almost nine in ten new diagnoses (88%) in 2022 (See Figure 1).
• Of the 10,426 new HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino men in 2022, 91% were attributable to diagnoses among gay and bisexual Hispanic/Latino men.

• The rate of new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 among adult and adolescent Hispanic/Latino people (23.4) was over 4 times that of White people (5.3) but about half that of Black people (41.6) in 2022 (see Figure 3). Looking by sex and race, the rate for Hispanic/Latino men (40.8) was the second highest of any group after Black men (66.3) and over 4 times that of White men (8.7). Latina women (5.5) had the third highest rate among women (tied with American Indian/Alaska Native women) after Multiracial women (8.2) and Black women (19.2).

• Hispanic/Latino people accounted for almost 1 in 5 (17%) deaths among people with an HIV diagnosis (deaths may be due to any cause) in 2022. The number of deaths among Latino individuals with an HIV diagnosis increased 24% between 2010 and 2022.
• Rates for deaths where HIV was indicated as the leading cause of death are second highest among Hispanic/Latino people (after Black people) compared to people of other race/ethnicities. Hispanic/Latino people had the second highest age-adjusted HIV death rate per 100,000 – 1.4 compared to 0.6 per 100,000 White persons.

Transmission

• Transmission patterns vary by race/ethnicity. While male-to-male sexual contact accounts for the largest share of HIV cases across racial/ethnic groups, proportionately, more Hispanic/Latino people contract HIV this way. Heterosexual sex accounts for a smaller proportion of HIV cases among Hispanic/Latino people than White people.
• Among Hispanic/Latino people, 78% of new HIV diagnoses in 2022 were attributable to male-to-male sexual contact, with an additional 3% attributable to male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use. 15% were attributable to heterosexual sex and the remainder of HIV diagnoses were attributable injection drug use only. This differs from transmission patterns among White people. Among White people, 63% of new HIV diagnoses in 2022 were attributable to male-to-male sexual contact with an additional 7% attributable to male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use and 16% were attributable to heterosexual sex. The remainder were attributable injection drug use only.
• Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latina women are attributed to heterosexual contact and a smaller share of HIV are attributable to injection drug use compared to White women.

Geography

• Although HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino people have been reported throughout the country, the impact of the epidemic is not uniformly distributed.
• In 2022, Hispanic/Latino people made up an estimated 19% of all people in the South, but accounted for a greater share of new diagnoses (42%) and estimated people living with HIV (34%) in that region.
• HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino people are concentrated in a handful of states. The top 10 states account for 82% of all HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino people (see Figure 4).

Women

• Hispanic/Latina women accounted for 1 in 5 (20%) new HIV diagnoses among women as well as 1 in 5 (20%) women estimated to be living with HIV. The rate of new diagnoses among Latina women (5.5) is nearly 3 times the rate among White women (1.9) but less than the rate among Black women (19.2).
• After several years of decreases, new HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latina women increased by 16% between 2018 and 2022.
• In 2022, Hispanic/Latina women represented 12% of new HIV diagnoses among all Hispanic/Latino people – a smaller share than White and Black women (who represented 18% and 24% of new diagnoses among their respective racial/ethnic groups).

Young People

• In 2022, 30% of HIV diagnoses among young people ages 13-24 were among Hispanic/Latino people.
• Looking at young people (those ages 13-24) by race/ethnicity, Hispanic/Latino youth, had the second highest number and rate of HIV diagnoses (2,124 and 16.3 per 100,000, respectively) after Black youth (3,555 and 48.7); the rate for Hispanic/Latino people was 4.5 times greater than that of White youth (3.6).
• Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual teens and young adults are especially impacted. Among all gay and bisexual teens and young adults diagnosed with HIV in 2022, 32% were Hispanic/Latino.

Gay and Bisexual Men

(Data in this section are based on individuals who acquired HIV through male-to-male sexual contact or male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use.)

• Between 2010 and 2022, HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino people attributable to male-to-male sexual contact increased by 43%, including a 23% increase between 2018 to 2022.
• Among Hispanic/Latino people, gay and bisexual men accounted for 85% those estimated to be living with HIV and 30% of all gay and bisexual men estimated to be living with HIV.
• Young Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men are particularly affected, with those ages 13-24 accounting for 20% of new HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men in 2022, higher than the share among White gay and bisexual men (12%).

HIV Testing and Access to Prevention & Care

• In 2022, nearly one half (44%) of Hispanic/Latino adults reported ever having been tested for HIV, compared to a third of those who were White (32%).
• Among those who are HIV positive, 21% of Hispanic/Latino people were diagnosed with HIV late – that is, were diagnosed with AIDS within 3 months of testing positive for HIV; similar to the share among White (21%) and Black (20%) people.
• Looking across the care continuum, Hispanic/Latino people face disparities related to diagnosis, linkage to care and viral suppression. At the end of 2022, it was estimated that 84% of Hispanic/Latino people with HIV were diagnosed, 62% were linked to care, and 54% were virally suppressed. In comparison, an estimated 89% of White people with HIV were diagnosed, 70% were linked to care, and 63% were virally suppressed.