HIV Diagnoses and the HIV Care Continuum Among Women and Girls Aged ≥13 Years-39 States and the District of Columbia, 2015-2016

Background In 2017, 19% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States were in women. HIV acquisition can be prevented with pre-exposure prophylaxis, and HIV transmission with viral suppression. HIV viral suppression is achieved by linking women to care and supporting adherence to antiretroviral medications. The national HIV prevention goal for viral suppression is 80%. Setting United States. Methods We analyzed data reported by 40 US jurisdictions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National HIV Surveillance System to determine the number and rate of HIV diagnoses per 100,000 women in 2016. We also determined the percentages of women with diagnosed HIV who were linked to care within 1 and 3 months, received HIV care, were retained in HIV care, and were virally suppressed in 2015. Findings were stratified by demographic characteristics and HIV transmission category. Results In 2016, 6407 women were diagnosed with HIV. Black women had a rate of 783.7 per 100,000, Hispanic/Latino women 182.7, and white women 43.6. In 2015, 190,735 women were living with diagnosed HIV. Viral suppression increased with age, ranging from 46.5% among women aged 13-24 years to 62.3% among women aged ≥45 years. Black women had the lowest rate of viral suppression (55.5%). No age group of women achieved 80% viral suppression. Conclusions Pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation for women at high risk for HIV infection can help to decrease new infections. Women living with HIV would benefit from interventions that support linkage to HIV care and antiretroviral medication adherence to increase viral suppression.