Black Americans are still hit harder by HIV in the US

Despite the efforts and progress that has been made in the past several years, HIV/AIDS still disproportionally affects black people in the United States compared to the white population.

According to a new report issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of more than 12,200 black men and women diagnosed with HIV in 2014, nearly 22 percent had progressed to AIDS by the time they were diagnosed. Overall only about 54 percent of black people living with HIV were receiving medication for HIV treatment and less than a half of them had undetectable viral loads.

All this data suggests that diagnosis and treatment often comes late to this group of the population. To meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy of 90 percent of HIV patients in treatment and 80 percent with undetectable HIV by 2020 much more has to be done for access to treatment and prevention among African Americans living with HIV.

"While we have made great progress in HIV prevention among African Americans in recent years, it is clear that we need to increase the proportion of African Americans living with HIV who are aware of their status and are receiving treatment," researchers stated.