The percentage of Black people with late-stage HIV diagnosis varies according to population area of residence and is higher in rural than urban and metropolitan areas, according to research published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Researchers described HIV care outcomes among Black individuals with diagnosed HIV infection during 2018 by population area of residence using National HIV Surveillance System data. The percentage of late-stage diagnoses was higher for Black people in rural areas than in urban and metropolitan areas in 2018 (25.2% vs 21.9% and 19.0%, respectively). Across all areas, linkage to care within 1 month of diagnosis was similar (76.7%, 77.0%, and 77.2% in rural, urban, and metropolitan areas, respectively), while the highest level of viral suppression within 6 months of diagnosis was seen in metropolitan areas (63.8% vs 59.6% and 59.7% in rural and urban areas, respectively). “These findings likely underscore known differences in healthrelated behaviors, physical and sociocultural environments, and access to and use of health care systems among Black urban and rural HIV populations,” the study authors write.
