PrEP

In addition to Miami-Dade County's high HIV/AIDS incidence levels, Miami-Dade County’s racial/ethnic composition differs from the rest of Florida, both in the composition of its residential population and in the composition of the populations of persons living with HIV or AIDS. Blacks/African Americans (which includes African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and Black Haitians) comprise 17% of Miami-Dade County’s population, comparable to 14% of the State of Florida’s population; but, based on FDOH-MDC’s data for 2015, comprise 41% of the persons living with HIV in Miami-Dade County and 50% of the persons living with AIDS. This pattern of low percentages of Black/African Americans in the population at large, but much higher percentages of Black/African Americans living with HIV and AIDS in both the State and Miami-Dade County demographics, is the basis for designating Blacks/African Americans as a target population for prevention efforts (see NHAS 2020 Goal #3: Disparities in Prevention, Strategy DP 1.1, for Blacks/African Americans in the Miami Integrated Plan). Cisgender black women ages 18 and above are included in this priority population. Cisgender black women accounted for 61% of new HIV diagnoses among US women—16 times the diagnosis rate of White women. Individuals with multiple co-occurring devalued social identities often experience stigma, including acts of discrimination such as profiling, bias in hiring, and microaggressions. These experiences may be more frequent and severe when a Black woman has additional devalued identities, such as a history of incarceration, immigration, sexual minority orientation, transgender identity, or substance use. This often “overlooked” priority population needs attention now. The many stigmas resulting from multiple co-occurring devalued social identities pushes many Cisgender black women to keep their statuses hidden and forces them to stay at home rather than engage in services along the HIV care continuum.