One in Two New HIV Cases in Chicago Were in Black Men
February 7th marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which is part of the broader awareness building and celebration of Black excellence and culture through Black History Month. In order to properly address the impact of HIV/AIDS on Black communities, Chicago House recognizes structural racism and disinvestments in Black communities has resulted in disproportionate rates of new HIV transmissions in these communities—1 in 2 Black MSM in Chicago will contract HIV, according to recent CDPH data.
In a 2019 study, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 40% of new HIV infections occurred among Black individuals, accounting for almost double than the number of new infections among White indivduals in the U.S. As also indicated by the CDC’s study, a legacy of racism and discrimination has deeply impacted all areas of society, and creates inequities in access to housing, education, wealth, and employment. These social determinants of health also play a role in health inequities, which results in some populations disproportionately experiencing poor health outcomes.
The intersection of marginalized identities also plays a part in the impact of HIV in the Black community, with Black transgender women, Black heterosexual women, and Black gay/bisexual men accounting for a sizeable portion of those impacted by HIV in the United States. Inadequate access to healthcare, HIV-related stigma, homophobia and transphobia all compound the challenges facing those with HIV in the U.S.
A recent Chicago Department of Public Health report shared that the largest number of new HIV diagnoses 2020 were in Black Chicagoans (55% percent of new diagnoses). This was 2.4 times as many new HIV diagnoses among Black individuals than among Latinx individuals and a staggering five times as many as White Chicagoans.
Despite the documented disproportionate impact of HIV on Black individuals in the U.S., it was found that only 9% of eligible Black individuals were prescribed PrEP in 2020. This highlights how pervasive health inequities are in the U.S. Chicago House continues to be actively engaged in Black and communities of color to address these inequities.
Chicago House intentionally embeds strategies to address the social determinants of health in order to provide comprehensive support to those impacted by HIV. Through Housing, Health, Employment and TransLife Care, Chicago House is able to work to remove barriers facing the communities most impacted by HIV.
Over the past two years, Chicago House has intentionally located its work in the communities that face disparities in access to care on Chicago’s South and West Sides, through offerings like Health, Outreach, Prevention and Education (HOPE), relocating the Central Hub to the Motor Row District, and partnering with institutions like St. Bernard’s Ambulatory Care Center.
This National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Chicago House invites you to destigmatize HIV through education, support community organizations that reach populations impacted by governmental neglect, and reflect on the inequities in care facing Black individuals in the U.S.