HIV/AIDS and the Latino Populations in the United States: Epidemiology, Prevention, and Barriers to Care and Treatment

Latino individuals comprise 18% of the US population, but they account for 26% of new HIV infections, 22% of people living with HIV/AIDS, and 23% of new AIDS diagnoses. These disparities are driven mainly by a persistently high number of new infections among Latino men who have sex with men in less than a dozen states and US territories. The current HIV care continuum for Latinos falls short of national and international goals and threatens to perpetuate the epidemic. Improving outcomes and eliminating new HIV infections will require a focus on various internal and external factors affecting Latino communities.