HIV Testing and Outcomes Among Hispanics/Latinos — United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, 2014

The 2015 National HIV/AIDS Strategy provides an updated plan to address health disparities in communities at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (1,2). Hispanics/Latinos* are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. In 2014, 23% of HIV diagnoses were among Hispanics/Latinos, who represented 16% of the U.S. population (3). To examine HIV testing services, CDC analyzed 2014 data from the National HIV Prevention Program Monitoring and Evaluation (NHM&E) system submitted by 60 CDC-funded health departments^† and 151 community-based organizations. Among Hispanics/Latinos tested, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) had the highest percentage of HIV diagnoses (2%). MSM accounted for 19.8% of HIV test events conducted among Hispanics/Latinos and 63.8% of Hispanics/Latinos who received an HIV diagnosis in non–health care settings.^§ Approximately 60% of Hispanics/Latinos who received an HIV diagnosis were linked to HIV medical care within 90 days; this percentage was lower in the South than in other U.S. Census regions. HIV prevention programs that are focused on expanding routine HIV screening and targeting and improving linkage to medical care and other services (e.g., partner services) for Hispanics/Latinos can help identify undiagnosed HIV cases and reduce HIV transmission.

CDC analyzed NHM&E HIV test event-level data submitted by 60 CDC-funded testing programs at health departments^¶ and 151 community-based organizations. Data were stratified by age, gender, U.S. Census region, HIV prevalence,** and certain target populations (i.e., MSM, persons who inject drugs, heterosexual males, and heterosexual females).^†† Data to identify target populations are required for all test events conducted in non–health care settings and are only required for HIV-positive persons from health care settings. Target population data included in the analysis were only from non–health care settings. Valid HIV test events were tests for which the results (i.e., positive or negative) were known. Analyses included persons who tested positive for HIV during the most current test event in 2014 and were not previously reported in the health department’s HIV surveillance system. Clients’ self-reported data regarding previous HIV status were used for grantees who were not able to verify earlier test results within the grantee’s surveillance system. The outcomes among Hispanics/Latinos with HIV infection diagnosed in 2014 included linkage to HIV medical care within any timeframe (e.g., attendance at first medical care appointment); linkage to HIV medical care within 90 days; interview for partner services (i.e., soliciting information from HIV-positive persons about their sex partners and drug-injecting partners, who can then be notified of their potential exposures and offered services to protect their health) (4); and referral to HIV risk-reduction services (i.e., services aimed at reducing the risk for HIV transmission, such as behavioral interventions and risk-reduction counseling. HIV risk-reduction services exclude HIV posttest counseling, mental health services, and housing needs) (5).

During 2014, a total of 3,049,845 CDC-funded HIV test events were conducted in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 22.6% (687,777) of all test events conducted, and for 25.3% and 25.8% of HIV test events among persons aged 30–39 years and 40–49 years, respectively, as well as 31.4% of HIV test events among transgender persons. By census region, Hispanics/Latinos accounted for >90% of all test events conducted in the U.S. dependent areas of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (98% were conducted in Puerto Rico) and 40.1% of test events in the West census region. Among all HIV test events that occurred in medium-low HIV prevalence and high HIV prevalence areas, Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 22.8% and 27.0%, respectively. Hispanic/Latino MSM accounted for 24.4% of all HIV test events conducted among MSM in non–health care settings (Table 1).

Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 23.3% (2,906) of all persons who received a diagnosis of HIV in 2014. Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 27.4% and 26.8% of diagnoses among persons aged 30–39 years and 40–49 years, respectively; 24.7% of diagnoses among males; and 23.6% of diagnoses among transgender persons. Almost all diagnoses in the U.S. dependent areas and 36.0% of diagnoses in the West were among Hispanics/Latinos. Among persons in medium-low and high prevalence areas, Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 25.7% and 24.7% of diagnoses, respectively. Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 25.3% of all MSM and 22.2% of all persons who inject drugs receiving an HIV diagnosis in non–health care settings (Table 1).

Overall, 36.4% of 687,777 test events among Hispanics/Latinos were among persons aged 20–29 years; 50.7% were among females; 42.2% were among persons residing in the South census region; and 72.2% were among persons residing in high HIV prevalence areas. In non–health care settings, MSM accounted for 19.8% of all HIV test events conducted among Hispanics/Latinos (Table 2).

HIV-positivity among Hispanics/Latinos tested in 2014 was 0.4%. Among Hispanics/Latinos tested in non–health care settings, HIV-positivity was highest among MSM (2.0%), followed by persons who inject drugs (0.5%). MSM accounted for 19.8% (39,122 of 197,802) of HIV test events conducted among Hispanics/Latinos in non–health care settings, and 63.8% (780 of 1,222) of Hispanics/Latinos who received an HIV diagnosis in non–health care settings. Among Hispanics/Latinos who received a diagnosis, 71.0% were linked to HIV medical care within any timeframe; 61.1% were linked to medical care within 90 days, 60.0% were interviewed for HIV partner services, and 64.0% were referred to risk-reduction services. The percentage of Hispanics/Latinos linked to HIV medical care within 90 days or referred to partner services or risk-reduction services was lower in the South than in other census regions. More than 60.0% of Hispanic/Latino MSM tested in non–health care settings were linked to HIV medical care or referred to partner services or risk-reduction services (Table 2).

Acknowledgments

Sam Dooley, MD, Janet Heitgerd, PhD, Program Evaluation Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC; Prevention Program Branch, Quantitative Sciences and Data Management Branch, Division of HIV AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC.

Corresponding author: Shubha Rao, srao1@cdc.gov, 404-639-8521.

¹Program Evaluation Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention; ²Office of Health Equity, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention.

References

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TABLE 1. Number and percentage of HIV test events and diagnoses among Hispanics/Latinos, by demographic characteristics and target populations, compared with all CDC-funded HIV test events — United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, 2014

Abbreviation: HIV = human immunodeficiency virus.
*Valid HIV test events were defined as tests for which a test result (i.e., positive or negative) was known. Analyses exclude discordant and indeterminate results.
^†Included are persons who tested HIV-positive and did not report a previous positive test result, calculated using HIV surveillance verification (if available) or a person’s self-reported previous HIV status.
^§The jurisdictions are grouped according to HIV prevalence and based on the number of persons living with diagnosed HIV infection in 2013: high = ≥20,000; medium = 4,000–19,999; medium-low = 1,000–3,999; and low = <1,000.
^¶Data to identify target populations are required for all test events conducted in non–health care settings and only required for persons with HIV infection from health care settings. Therefore, for target populations, data are only from non–health care settings (N = 879,063 for all test events, N = 197,802 for test events among Hispanics/Latinos, and N = 1,222 for Hispanics/Latinos newly diagnosed with HIV infection). Other target populations and missing data among Hispanics/Latinos include the following: transgender = 1.1%, women who have sex with women = 0.9%, persons not reporting sex with male or female or injection drug use = 17.4%, and missing/invalid = 18.8%.
**MSM include males who reported male-to-male sexual contact as well as males who reported both male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use in the past 12 months. Persons who inject drugs include persons who reported injection drug use in the past 12 months. Heterosexual males include males who only reported heterosexual contact with a female in the past 12 months. Heterosexual females include females who only reported heterosexual contact with a male in the past 12 months.

TABLE 2. Linkage to HIV medical care, referral and interview for HIV partner services, and referral to HIV risk-reduction services among Hispanics/Latinos, by demographic characteristics and target populations — United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, 2014

Abbreviations: HIV = human immunodeficiency virus, MSM = men who have sex with men.
*Valid HIV test events were defined as tests for which a test result (i.e., positive or negative) was known. Analyses exclude discordant and indeterminate results.
^†Included are persons who tested HIV-positive and did not report a previous positive test result, calculated using HIV surveillance verification (if available) or a person’s self-reported previous HIV status. The denominator for diagnosed persons is the number of HIV test events. The denominator for linkage, HIV partner services, and HIV risk reduction services is the number of diagnosed persons.
^§The jurisdictions are grouped according to HIV prevalence and based on the number of persons living with diagnosed HIV infection in 2013: high = ≥20,000; medium = 4,000–19,999; medium-low = 1,000–3,999; and low = <1,000.
^¶Data to identify target populations are required for all test events conducted in non–health care settings and only required for persons with HIV infection from health care settings. Therefore, for target populations, data are only from non–health care settings (N = 879,063 for all test events, N = 197,802 for test events among Hispanics/Latinos, and N = 1,222 for Hispanics/Latinos newly diagnosed with HIV infection). Other target populations and missing data among Hispanics/Latinos include the following: transgender = 1.1%, women who have sex with women = 0.9%, persons not reporting sex with male or female or injection drug use = 17.4%, and missing/invalid = 18.8%.
**MSM include males who reported male-to-male sexual contact as well as males who reported both male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use in the past 12 months. Persons who inject drugs include persons who reported injection drug use in the past 12 months. Heterosexual males include males who only reported heterosexual contact with a female in the past 12 months. Heterosexual females include females who only reported heterosexual contact with a male in the past 12 months.
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