(gentle music)
- Decades of discrimination, stigma, income inequality,
systemic racism, homophobia,
and a mistrust of the healthcare system
have led to persistent disparities
in HIV-related health outcomes.
The only way we can truly end HIV in the United States
is by eliminating the barriers
that prevent equitable access to HIV prevention.
Although annual HIV infections have stabilized,
the overall stability masks important racial disparities.
Recent CDC data show Black and Hispanic men
who have sex with men, or MSM,
were significantly less likely
than White men who have sex with men
to be aware of PrEP,
to have discussed PrEP with a healthcare provider,
or to have used PrEP within the past year.
We have yet another study
that shows Black and Latino
and younger men who have sex with men
are less likely to be linked to care
or to achieve viral suppression.
Black women are disproportionally affected by HIV
compared to women of other races and ethnicities,
and available evidence suggests that,
in relation to their population size,
transgender women are among the groups
most affected by HIV in the United States.
Although long-term declining trends
in HIV incidence among people who inject drugs have stalled,
new infections have begun increase
in some demographic groups and geographies.
(gentle music continues)
We really need to take a whole-person approach to people
in need of prevention and care.
Every person, regardless of their HIV status,
receives the same high-quality, culturally-affirming care.
This kind of approach helps build trust
between the patient and their provider,
which can help retain them in care
and helps eliminate HIV-related stigma,
a major barrier to health equity.
CDC has accelerated efforts for achieving health equity
through focused funding, strategic community engagement,
and expanded investments where they're needed most.
CDC awards $400 million each year to health departments
for integrated HIV data collection and prevention efforts.
We also partner directly
with community-based organizations
that have credibility and a long history
of meeting the needs of Black, Latino,
and other disproportionately-affected groups.
To help reduce stigma
and encourage people at risk for and with HIV
to seek out vital testing, treatment,
and prevention services,
CDC works with community partners
to design and deliver education and awareness campaigns
with culturally-appropriate and bilingual messages
about HIV testing, prevention, and treatment.
And to further accelerate progress,
The federal Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative
is working to overcome barriers
to HIV prevention and treatment
in the areas of the country now hardest hit
by this epidemic.
Although we cannot fix deep-seated issues
like systemic racism overnight,
as a division, we can commit to creating programs
that are equitable, eliminate HIV stigma,
and improve access to prevention and care services.
And we can commit to monitoring our collective impact
and holding each other accountable for our progress.
(gentle music continues)
Why is health equity important to me personally?
I moved to New York City in 1991,
and my first introduction to being gay
was New York City's nightlife.
Moving from Arlington, Virginia,
I hadn't really had a lot of encounters
with diverse groups of people.
When I got introduced to the New York City scene,
I met many people who really didn't define themselves
in terms of gender identity,
and I met people from every race and every sexuality.
As a 17 year old, it was great.
And so I was making all of these friends,
and then I started to notice one day
some of these friends stopped showing up,
and I learned that they stopped showing up
because they were getting HIV,
they were getting sick and getting admitted to the hospital,
and we wouldn't see them again
because some of them would die.
And that's when I found that HIV likes to find those
who can afford the least to be sick with it,
those who already face stigma
and are medically disenfranchised.
My job won't be done until everyone,
regardless of their geographic location, drug use,
gender identity, income level, housing status,
or race ethnicity has equal access
to culturally-affirming, high-quality
continuous care services.
They should be able to walk through the same door
of their local sexual health clinic
and get the same services they need to stay healthy.
That is how we're going to end this epidemic.
(gentle music fades)