Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Integrated HIV Programs for Health Departments to Support Ending the HIV Epidemic - As of July 1, 2015, the United States Census Bureau estimates that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is home to 6,794,422 individuals . Among those reporting only one race, over three-quarters (82.1%) of Massachusetts residents are white, 8.4% of residents are Black/African American, 0.5% are American Indian or Alaska Native; 6.6% are Asian, and 2.3% are two or more races. Persons of Hispanic/Latino origin comprise 11.2% of the total population. Fifteen percent (15.3%) of the population is foreign born, and 22.2% speak a language other than English at home. According to the 2015 American Community Survey (ACS) one-year estimates, 11.5% of the population lives under the poverty level. As of January 1, 2019, 23,073 persons were living with HIV infection in Massachusetts. A cumulative total of 36,639 individuals have ever been diagnosed with HIV infection and reported to the Massachusetts HIV/AIDS surveillance system, with or without an AIDS diagnosis as of January 1, 2020. During the period 2000 to 2018 the annual number of new HIV infection diagnoses reported in Massachusetts decreased by 44.5% (from 1192 to 662) and deaths among individuals reported with HIV infection decreased by 21% (from 370 to 292) . Despite the overall reduction in the number of new HIV diagnoses in the Commonwealth, the state continues to experience substantial health disparities among certain populations. Male-to-male sex remains the leading exposure mode for HIV infection among the 23,073 individuals living with HIV infection in Massachusetts as of January 1, 2019, accounting for 43% of all exposures and 61% of HIV infections among men (includes MSM/IDU). After declining by 68% from 2007 (N=98) to 2014 (N=31), the number of reported HIV cases with injection drug use as the exposure mode increased to 71 in 2016. The proportion of new HIV diagnoses attributed to injection drug increased from 5% of new HIV diagnoses in 2014 to 19% in 2017. The proposed project will focus on Suffolk County. Suffolk County—and notably the City of Boston—is the epicenter of the HIV epidemic in Massachusetts, and home to nearly one-third of state residents living with HIV infection. As of January 1, 2019, 6,478 persons are living with HIV infection (PLWH) in Suffolk County, and a cumulative total of 11,881 individuals have ever been diagnosed with HIV infection and reported to the Massachusetts surveillance system in Suffolk County, with or without an AIDS diagnosis. This application outlines a proposed set of innovative and high impact prevention, screening, and linkage activities to end the HIV epidemic in Suffolk County. Activities include: timely diagnosis of HIV; prevention of new HIV infections; rapid linkage to medical care and treatment for newly diagnosed HIV+ individuals and/or individuals currently out-of-care; increased utilization of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); support for comprehensive health promotion services for persons who inject drugs (PWID), including linkage to syringe service programs (SSP), and rapid response to new clusters and outbreaks of HIV through mobilization of community based organizations, hospitals and community health centers, and public health services to disrupt ongoing HIV transmission within injection and sexual networks.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).