HIV and Women: HIV Diagnoses

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HIV diagnoses refers to the number of people who received an HIV diagnosis during a given year. Womena accounted for 19% (7,190) of the 37,968 new HIV diagnoses in the US and dependent areasb in 2018.

EHE goal: decrease the number of new HIV diagnoses to 9,588 and 3,000 by 2030.
There were 37,968 new HIV diagnoses in the US and dependent areas in 2018 and 19 percent of those were among of women.

New HIV Diagnoses Among Women by Transmission Category in the US and Dependent Areas, 2018*

Most new HIV diagnoses among women were attributed to heterosexual contact.

Among women, 85 percent of diagnoses were attributed to heterosexual contact.

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Note: Total may exceed 100% due to rounding.
* Based on sex assigned at birth and includes transgender people.
† Includes perinatal exposure, blood transfusion, hemophilia, and risk factors not reported or not identified.
Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2018 (updated). HIV Surveillance Report 2020;31.

New HIV Diagnoses Among Women by Age in the US and Dependent Areas, 2018*

Women aged 25 to 34 had the highest number of new HIV diagnoses.

Women aged 25 to 34 had the highest number of new HIV diagnoses.

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Note: Total may exceed 100% due to rounding.
* Based on sex assigned at birth and includes transgender people.
Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2018 (updated). HIV Surveillance Report 2020;31.

New HIV Diagnoses Among Women by Race/Ethnicity in the US and Dependent Areas, 2018*

Black/African American women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV.

Black/African American women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV.

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* Based on sex assigned at birth and includes transgender 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/Latina women can be of any race.
Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2018 (updated). HIV Surveillance Report 2020;31.

Trends in HIV diagnoses showed a decrease of 7% among women overall from 2014 to 2018. Although trends varied for different groups of women, HIV diagnoses declined for groups most affected by HIV, including Black/African American women and women aged 25 to 34.

HIV Diagnoses Among Women in the US and Dependent Areas, 2014-2018*

This trend chart shows HIV diagnoses in women in the US from 2014 to 2018. The only increase is among aged 55 and older.
This trend chart shows HIV diagnoses among women in the US from 2014 to 2018. By race, HIV only increased among Whites.

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* Based on sex assigned at birth and includes transgender 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/Latina women can be of any race.
** 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, 2018 (updated). HIV Surveillance Report 2020;31.

Cisgender: A person whose sex assigned at birth is the same as their gender identity or expression.

Gender expression: A person’s outward presentation of their gender (for example, how they dress).

Gender identity: A person’s internal understanding of their own gender.

Transgender: A person whose gender identity or expression is different from their sex assigned at birth.

a Adult and adolescent women 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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Page last reviewed: March 8, 2021
Content source: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention