HIV and African American People: What CDC Is Doing

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CDC is pursuing a high-impact HIV prevention approach to maximize the effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions and strategies for African American communities. Funding state, territorial, and local health departments and community-based organizations (CBOs) to develop and implement tailored programs is CDC’s largest investment in HIV prevention. This includes longstanding successful programs and new efforts funded through the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative. In addition to funding health departments and CBOs, CDC is also strengthening the HIV prevention workforce and developing HIV communication resources for consumers and health care providers.

  • Through a whole-of-society approach to end the HIV epidemic, CDC is collaborating with partners such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address social and structural determinants of health and reduce disparities in communities where the need is greatest, including African American communities. These strategies are at the center of the updated National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).
  • Under the integrated HIV surveillance and prevention cooperative agreement, CDC awards around $400 million per year to health departments for HIV data collection and prevention efforts. This award directs resources to the populations and geographic areas of greatest need, including African American people, while supporting core HIV surveillance and prevention efforts across the US.
  • In 2019, CDC awarded $12 million to support the development of state and local Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. plans in the nation’s 57 priority areas. To further enhance capacity building efforts, CDC uses HIV prevention resources to fund the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) with $1.5 million per year to support strategic partnerships, community engagement, peer-to-peer technical assistance, and planning efforts.
  • In 2020, CDC awarded $109 million to 32 state and local health departments that represent the 57 jurisdictions across the United States prioritized in the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative. This award supports the implementation of state and local Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.
  • Under the cooperative agreement for CBOs, CDC awards about $42 million per year to 96 CBOs to implement program components that align with key strategies of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. This award supports the development of new, and enhancement of existing strategies focused on populations disproportionately affected by HIV, including African American people.
  • In 2017, CDC awarded nearly $11 million per year for five years to 30 CBOs to provide HIV testing to young gay and bisexual men of color and transgender youth of color, with the goal of identifying undiagnosed HIV infections and linking those who have HIV to care and prevention services.
  • In 2019, CDC awarded a cooperative agreement to strengthen the capacity and improve the performance of the nation’s HIV prevention workforce. New elements include dedicated providers for web-based and classroom-based national training, and technical assistance tailored within four geographic regions.
  • CDC’s Prevention Research Synthesis (PRS) Project identifies evidence-based interventions and best practices through ongoing systematic reviews. The PRS Project has identified several interventions for African American people in its Compendium of Evidence-Based Interventions and Best Practices for HIV Prevention:
  • Through the Minority HIV/AIDS Research program, CDC is building capacity for HIV epidemiologic and prevention research in communities most-affected by HIV, including African American communities.
  • CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity advances health equity by developing and implementing strategies and programs to address health disparities that affect populations experiencing a disproportionate burden of disease and disability, including African American people.
  • Through its Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign, CDC is equipping communities, partners, and health care providers with the resources they need to reduce HIV stigma, and promote HIV testing, prevention, and treatment and care. The campaign materials are tailored for specific audiences including African American people.
  1. CDC Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2019. HIV Surveillance Report 2021;32.
  2. CDC. Estimated HIV incidence and prevalence in the United States, 2015–2019. [PDF – 3 MB] HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report 2021;26(1).
  3. CDC. Monitoring selected national HIV prevention and care objectives by using HIV surveillance data—United States and 6 dependent areas, 2019. HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report 2021;26(2).
  4. Randolph SD, Golin C, Welgus H, Lightfoot AF, Harding CJ, Riggins LF. How perceived structural racism and discrimination and medical mistrust in the health system influences participation in HIV health services for Black women living in the United States South: a qualitative, descriptive study. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care2020;31(5):598-605. PubMed abstract.
  5. Beer L, McCree DH, Jeffries WL 4th, Lemons A, Sionean C. Recent US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention activities to reduce HIV stigma. J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care2019;18:1-5.
  6. CDC. Sexually transmitted disease surveillance, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2022.
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