National Women Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: Black, Latina and transgender women bear a disproportionate share of the epidemic
As the U.S. observes National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, persistent racial and gender inequities mean Black, Latina and transgender women continue to bear a disproportionate share of the epidemic.
Members of the public, including activists with the group NYC Order of Sisters, gather at the New York City AIDS Memorial in observance of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, 2025, in New York City. The candlelight vigil and march is known as the Out of the Darkness. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first reported what would later be called AIDS in 1981, public narratives narrowly centered on white gay men. Women were present in the epidemic from the start, but their experiences were marginalized in surveillance and public discourse. Even as HIV spread through communities of color, the early data failings obscured the epidemic’s reach. The data from four decades ago, including a 1986 report revealing the disproportionate impact ofon Black and Latino communities, held warnings that have yet to be fully addressed—sparking an intensifying epidemic for women of color today., we must confront the reality that Black and Latina women continue to bear a disproportionate burden of HIV, driven by systemic inequities that shape access to prevention, testing, care and survival.Despite HIV diagnoses declining overall in the past decade, the stark racial disparities remain entrenched. Black women account for about, women of color experience elevated rates of late diagnoses and greater socioeconomic vulnerability—factors that compound risk and undermine long-term health outcomes. Black and Latina women represent We also cannot ignore transgender women—especially Black and Latina transgender women—who are among the most profoundly impacted by HIV in the United States. In aacross seven U.S. cities, about 42 percent of transgender women surveyed were living with HIV, with the highest prevalence among Black transgender women. could be transformative, offering not just convenience but increased flexibility, discretion and a sense of empowerment by removing the need for a daily pill. A recent PrEP study found that, among people using oral PrEP, 7 percent are women, while among people using injectable PrEP, 12.5 percent are women. This gap suggests that, compared with oral PrEP, injectable PrEP is reaching a relatively higher proportion of women. Yet PrEP remains dramatically underutilized among women at risk for HIV. Women account for a much smaller share of PrEP users than their share of new HIV diagnoses, pointing to persistent gaps in access, awareness and uptake. Medicaid is HIV infrastructure. Any cuts or restrictions to Medicaid are not abstract budget items—they are immediate threats to health equity. In New York, Medicaid is the backbone of access to antiretroviral therapy, PrEP, testing services, reproductive care and the wraparound supports that stabilize families. Medicaid is HIV infrastructure. Any cuts or restrictions to Medicaid are not abstract budget items—they are immediate threats to health equity and the achievement of New York’s Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic goal. At Amida Care, Harlem United and Latino Commission on AIDS, we see firsthand that integrated care and coverage continuity improve outcomes. Women living with HIV with stable Medicaid coverage achieve viral suppression, maintain employment, support their families and live healthy lives. When coverage is threatened, gaps in care quickly follow: missed medications, interrupted preventive services and rising medical complications. These effects disproportionately harm women of color and gender-diverse individuals who already face economic and health inequities. Ending the unequal burden of HIV on women and girls requires decisive policy action: investing in community-led, culturally responsive care in Black and Latina communities; making testing and PrEP education a routine part of all women’s healthcare; and protecting and strengthening Medicaid as the backbone of prevention and treatment access. Forty years after the CDC first documented racial disparities, ignorance is no excuse. We know who is most affected and what works. Ongoing inequities are not a scientific failure—they are a policy choice. National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day should be more than symbolic. It should be a renewed commitment to equity in treatment, prevention, care and survival. New York has led the HIV response before. Now it must lead again—for every woman still bearing the epidemic’s unequal burden.Jacqui Kilmer is chief executive officer of Harlem United, where she leads one of New York City’s foremost community health organizations in confronting the disproportionate impact of HIV and AIDS on communities of color, and board chair of Amida Care, a New York City Medicaid health plan specializing in HIV, sexual health and gender-affirming care. An experienced attorney and former chief operating and compliance officer at Harlem United, she has strengthened the organization’s operational, legal and clinical infrastructure to expand access to high-quality, holistic care—including the development of a state-of-the-art facility in Harlem that integrates healthcare, supportive housing and advocacy. With a steadfast focus on breaking down barriers to care, Kilmer advances strategies that address not only HIV, but also the intersecting challenges of poverty, homelessness and chronic illness that continue to fuel inequities. Aracelis Quiñones is coordinator of Poder Latino , one of the longest-standing HIV education and support programs for Latinos in the United States, and a proud woman living with HIV for more than 34 years. A fierce advocate for underserved and Spanish-speaking communities, she has dedicated her life to uplifting people living with HIV—beginning with her work in Brooklyn supporting HIV-positive women and continuing since 1998 through her leadership and anti-stigma advocacy with the Latino Commission on AIDS. Grounded in lived experience and driven by compassion, Aracelis empowers others—especially women living with HIV—to find strength, voice and community. Sandrine Blake serves as assistant director of member events at Amida Care, a New York City Medicaid health plan specializing in HIV, sexual health and gender-affirming care, where she transforms mission into meaningful connection. Working one-on-one with members and community leaders, she champions the voices of those Amida Care serves and partners closely with its Member Advisory Council to ensure their lived experiences shape the organization’s advocacy and programming. Through flagship initiatives like Live Your Life wellness events, Pride celebrations, World AIDS Day commemorations, and community gatherings reaching more than 10,000 members, Blake creates affirming spaces that foster dignity, visibility and belonging across New York City.UN Report: Taliban Policies Are Driving a Health and Human Rights Crisis for Women in Afghanistan
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