AIDSVu Updates Its HIV Data for 58 Cities, Viewable on Interactive Maps

Curious about HIV data in your state, city or ZIP code? Then visit AIDSVu.org. The updated interactive site now includes HIV data from 2022, the latest year available. The site offers data and maps at the ZIP code level for 58 U.S. cities and added Oklahoma City and Tulsa to its database.

What’s more, along with the release of updated HIV data, AIDSVu offers a closer look at disparities and demographics in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles County and New Orleans. As usual, AIDSVu creates sharable graphics based on its data; four are included throughout this article.

AIDSVu’s update includes “HIV in the Northeast: Spotlight on Boston, MA.”Courtesy of AIDSVu.org

“Viewing locally relevant data through a health equity lens is at the core of AIDSVu’s mission as the only platform to visualize more than half of the national HIV epidemic at the ZIP code level,” said AIDSVu’s principal scientist, Patrick Sullivan, DVM, PhD, professor of epidemiology at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, in an AIDSVu statement.

“AIDSVu’s annual ZIP-code level data launch and the ability to view said data by race/ethnicity, sex, and age sheds light on health inequities in major cities within some of the most prominent [Ending the Epidemic] jurisdictions in the nation," Sullivan continued. “Equipped with this data, AIDSVu provides decision-makers with the ability to understand health disparities among their constituents and in nearby communities, enabling them to advance policies, programs and initiatives to end the HIV epidemic.”

AIDSVu’s update includes “HIV in the Midwest: Spotlight on Chicago, IL.”Courtesy of AIDSVu.org

The ZIP code-level data includes related HIV data, such as facts about the HIV care continuum—for example, how many people are linked to care and how many achieve viral suppression. Viewable data also cover social determinants of health, such as poverty, education and income inequality.

Regarding the four cities highlighted for this data update, the AIDSVu press release notes:

Boston:

In 2022, 5,336 people were living with HIV in Boston. Black and Hispanic individuals comprised 39% and 25% of people living with HIV in Boston in 2022, respectively.
There were 104 individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in Boston in 2022. Black individuals accounted for 47% of these new diagnoses, despite only representing 19% of the Boston population. Hispanic individuals accounted for 35% of new HIV diagnoses in Boston in 2022, despite also representing 19% of the Boston population.

Chicago:

In 2022, 19,204 people were living with HIV in Chicago, with Black individuals accounting for almost half of all people living with HIV in Chicago in 2022.
There were 636 individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in Chicago in 2022. Black individuals accounted for 48% of these new diagnoses despite only representing 29% of Chicago’s population. Hispanic individuals accounted for 31% of new HIV diagnoses in Chicago in 2022 and accounted for 30% of Chicago’s population.

Los Angeles County:

In 2022, 50,251 people were living with HIV in Los Angeles County, with Hispanic individuals accounting for nearly half of all people living with HIV in Los Angeles County.
There were 1,568 individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in Los Angeles County in 2022—with Hispanic individuals representing nearly 60% of all new HIV diagnoses in Los Angeles County in 2022 but only accounting for 48% of the Los Angeles County population. Additionally, Black individuals accounted for 20% of new HIV diagnoses in Los Angeles County in 2022—but only represented 8% of the Los Angeles County population.

New Orleans:

In 2022, 6,941 people were living with HIV in New Orleans. Black individuals accounted for 66% of all people living with HIV in New Orleans in 2022.
There were 205 individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in New Orleans in 2022. Black individuals accounted for 66% of these new diagnoses but only represented 39% of the New Orleans population. Hispanic individuals accounted for 18% of new HIV diagnoses in New Orleans in 2022 but only represented 13% of the New Orleans population.

AIDSVu’s update includes “HIV in the West: Spotlight on Los Angeles County, CA.”Courtesy of AIDSVu.org

Much of the HIV data on AIDSVu correspond with areas targeted in the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. This refers to the national plan President Trump launched in 2019 that aims to lower new HIV rates by 75% by 2025 and by 90% by 2030. This would amount to fewer than 3,000 HIV cases a year. “Reducing new infections to this level,” according to the initiative, “would essentially mean that HIV transmissions would be rare and meet the definition of ending the epidemic.”

The strategy for reaching these benchmarks involves investing federal funding and resources in programs that promote pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention as well as the rapid start of treatment for those who test positive. The EHE plan targets the 57 key states, counties and cities (referred to as jurisdictions) that together account for 50% of new HIV cases. These jurisdictions include 48 counties nationwide plus Washington, DC; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and seven rural states with high HIV burdens (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina).