Women
HIV/AIDS Prevalence among Women
Since the beginning of the epidemic, women have accounted for approximately 25% of persons
living with HIV in Minnesota as well as new HIV diagnoses. As of December 31st 2014, there
were 1,880 women living with HIV in Minnesota.
Race/Ethnicity
Women of color account
for a disproportionate
Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Minnesota
by Race/Ethnicity, 2014
number of women living
with HIV in Minnesota.
(n = 1,880)
White women account for
Afr Amer
27%
just 24% of women living
White
with HIV, while women of
25%
color account for 73% of
prevalent female HIV/AIDS
cases whereas only 17% of
Other
3%
the
general
female
population in Minnesota
Asian
2%
are women of color. The
Amer Ind
largest number of women
Afr born
3%
33%
living with HIV/AIDS is
Hispanic
7%
among
African-born
women (672 persons)
followed by African-American and white women (515 and 459 women, respectively).
Mode of Exposure
The majority (81%) of women living with HIV in Minnesota have an estimated mode of
exposure of heterosexual contact. Injection drug use accounts for 9% of prevalent HIV
infections in Minnesota among women.
Across all race/ethnicity groups, females most frequently report heterosexual contact with
someone with or at risk for HIV infection as their mode of HIV exposure. However, IDU also
accounts for the next largest percentage of female cases among most race/ethnicity
groups. The largest estimated percentage of IDU cases are among American Indian women
(20%), followed by white women with 16%, African Americans with 14% and Hispanics with
Minnesota HIV/AIDS Epidemiologic Profile—Women
December 2015
9%. Among Asian and Pacific Islander females, heterosexual contact accounted for an
estimated 81% of cases, and IDU for an estimated 2%. However, the number of prevalent cases
among Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian females is quite small, so the results need to
be interpreted carefully. Finally, while African-born women make up the largest proportion
(33%) of females living with HIV in Minnesota, they account for less than one percent of the IDU
cases among HIV positive women.
HIV Diagnoses among Women
In 2014 the number of newly diagnosed HIV positive women increased by 7%, from 68 cases in
2013 to 73 cases.
Race/Ethnicity
In 2014, women of color accounted for 13% of the female population in Minnesota but made
up 79% of new infections among females, with African American and African-born women
accounting for 66% of infections among women. White, non-Hispanics make up approximately
83% of the female population but only 23% of new infections among women in 2014. Africanborn women continue to have the highest number of new infections among women annually.
The annual number of new infections diagnosed among Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian
females continues to be quite small.
HIV Infections* Among Females
by Race/Ethnicity† and Year of Diagnosis, 2005 – 2014
50
White
Asian
45
African American
American Indian
Hispanic
African-born
2009 2010
Year
2012
40
Number of Cases
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2005
2006
2007
2008
2011
2013
2014
* HIV or AIDS at first diagnosis
† “African-born” refers to Blacks who reported an African country of birth; “African
American” refers to all other Blacks. Cases with unknown race are excluded.
Minnesota HIV/AIDS Epidemiologic Profile—Women
December 2015
Mode of Exposure
Throughout the epidemic, heterosexual contact has been the predominant mode of HIV
exposure reported among females accounting for 73% of female cases in 2014. IDU is the
second most common known mode of transmission, and accounted for 3% of cases among
women in 2014. An unspecified risk has been designated for a growing percentage of cases for
the past several years and represented 24% of female cases in 2014.
HIV Treatment Cascade among Women
There were 1,778 HIV positive women included in the treatment cascade analyses. Compared
to the overall cascade, women are retained in care at a slightly higher rate (73% versus 72%).
Women achieve viral suppression at a slightly lower rate than the overall cascade (61% versus
63%).
There were 68 cases among women reported in 2013 that were included in the linkage to care
calculation. Women were linked to care at a slightly higher rate than the overall cascade in
2013 (80% versus 87%).
Percentage of females diagnosed with HIV engaged in
selected stages of the continuum of care, 2014– Minnesota
100%
90%
100%
100%
90%
87%
80%
73%
72%
70%
63%
61%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Overall Cascade for Minnesota
PLWH
Linkage to Care
n=7,728
Retention in Care
Females
Viral Suppression
n=1,778
Minnesota HIV/AIDS Epidemiologic Profile—Women
December 2015