Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If it is not treated, HIV can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. Most people get HIV through anal or vaginal sex or by sharing equipment used to inject drugs. The only way to know for sure whether you have HIV is to get tested.
Treatment as Prevention (TasP) refers to taking HIV medicine to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is taken to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. PEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis, is taken very soon after a possible exposure to HIV to prevent the virus from taking hold in your body.
HIV treatment can slow or stop the virus from progressing as well as prevent transmitting HIV to others. When HIV is not treated, it usually develops in three stages. The first stage is acute HIV infection, which happens soon after someone gets the virus. The second stage is chronic HIV infection, when the virus is still active, but symptoms may be mild or not noticeable. The third stage is AIDS. People with AIDS have severely weakened immune systems and are more likely to get serious illnesses. Without treatment, people with AIDS usually live about three years. Because of advances in treatment, far fewer people today develop AIDS.
In 2023, Black/African Americans were more than three times as likely as the U.S. population overall to be diagnosed with HIV.
In 2023, Black/African American teens and young adults ages 13–24 were nearly four times as likely to have HIV as others their age nationwide.
In 2023, Black/African American children under age 12 were diagnosed with HIV five times as often as children nationwide.
In 2023, Black/African Americans ages 13 and older were more than three times as likely as the U.S. population to have AIDS.
In 2023, Black/African Americans ages 13 and older who had AIDS were more than three times as likely to die as people with AIDS nationwide.
In 2018, Black/African American adults were 44% more likely than U.S. adults overall to have ever been tested for HIV.
Prevalence of AIDS among persons ages 13 and older, rate per 100,000 population, 2023
Black*
Total Population
Ratio (Black* / Total)
Male
843.4
292.5
2.88
Female
387.3
87.4
4.43
Both Sexes
603.7
188.3
3.21
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). NCHHSTP AtlasPlus [Interactive data tool]. National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention.
Classifications of persons with Stage 3 AIDS, by number of cases and percentage, 2023
Black
Total Population
Cumulative Cases^
542,003
1,366,381
Percent of Total Cases
39.7
100.00
^Cumulative data are from the beginning of the epidemic (1981)5 through 2023.
Deaths of persons ages 13 and older with AIDS, rate per 100,000 population, 2023
Black*
Total Population
Ratio (Black* / Total)
Male
23.7
7.7
3.08
Female
9.3
2.2
4.23
Both Sexes
16.1
4.9
3.29
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). NCHHSTP AtlasPlus [Interactive data tool]. National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention.
Health Care Use
HIV testing status among persons ages 18 and over, age-adjusted percentage, 2018
