Despite advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART), rates of HIV infection have increased among highly disenfranchised populations, accentuating health disparities. Black people comprise only 13% of the U.S population, but account for more than half of new HIV diagnoses. Notably, Black cis-gender women account for 57% of all new infections among women and the majority occur in those of reproductive age. These health inequities are most pronounced in the U.S. South. This is especially true in Alabama, where rural counties have the highest rates of new HIV infections per 100,000 persons.
