The Continuum of Care in HIV-Infected Blacks

In July 2010, the White House issued the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), with goals of increasing access to care and reducing HIV-related health disparities. To address gaps along the HIV care continuum — the stages of care from being diagnosed through receiving effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) — in July 2013, President Obama announced an initiative designed to increase HIV testing, services, and treatment. Recently, the CDC reported how 19 different jurisdictions are performing in meeting NHAS goals (NEJM JW AIDS Clin Care Feb 5 2014). Now, the it reports on where we are in filling gaps in the care continuum for blacks, who constitute 44% of persons living with HIV in the U.S. and represent the hardest-hit racial group.

The main fi…