HIV and Transgender People: HIV Diagnoses

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Data for 2020 should be interpreted with caution due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to HIV testing, care-related services, and case surveillance activities in state and local jurisdictions. While 2020 data on HIV diagnoses and prevention and care outcomes are available, we are not updating this web content with data from these reports.

HIV diagnoses refers to the number of people who received an HIV diagnosis during a given year. Transgender peoplea accounted for 2% (671) of the 36,801 new HIV diagnoses in the US and dependent areasb in 2019.

EHE goal: decrease the number of new HIV diagnoses to 9,588 and 3,000 by 2030.

Of the 37,968 new HIV diagnoses in the US and dependent areas in 2018, 2 percent (601) were among transgender people.

New HIV Diagnoses Among Transgender People by Race/Ethnicity in the US and Dependent Areas, 2019
Most new HIV diagnoses among transgender people were among Black/African American people.
Most new HIV diagnoses among transgender people were among Black/African American people.
Most new HIV diagnoses among transgender people were among Black/African American people.

* Black refers to people having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. African American is a term often used for people of African descent with ancestry in North America.
† Hispanic/Latino people can be of any race.
Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2019. HIV Surveillance Report 2021;32.

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New HIV Diagnoses Among Transgender People by Age in the US and Dependent Areas, 2019
Among transgender people, most new HIV diagnoses were among people aged 25 to 34.
Among transgender people by age: 13-24=32% (190), 25-34=45% (269), 35-44=18% (109), 45-54=4% (26), and 55 and older=1% (7).

Total may exceed 100% due to rounding.
Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2019. HIV Surveillance Report 2021;32.

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New HIV Diagnoses Among Transgender People by Region in the US and Dependent Areas, 2019*
The highest number of new HIV diagnoses among transgender people were in the South.
New HIV Diagnoses Among Transgender People by Region in the US and Dependent Areas, 2019

* Regions used in CDC’s National HIV Surveillance System:
Northeast: CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
Midwest: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI
South: AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
West: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY
Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2019. HIV Surveillance Report 2021;32.

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Though HIV diagnoses increased 7% among transgender people overall from 2015 to 2019, trends varied by age.

HIV Diagnoses Among Transgender People in the US and Dependent Areas, 2015-2019*
HIV diagnoses among transgender people in the US and dependent areas from 2014 to 2019 by age.

* Changes in subpopulations with fewer HIV diagnoses can lead to a large percentage increase or decrease.
Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2019. HIV Surveillance Report 2021;32.

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a Adult and adolescent transgender people aged 13 and older.

b American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Palau, and the US Virgin Islands.

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