As HIV rates across the country decline, the number of new Latino infections rise throughout the U.S.

A new analysis found Latinos experiencing a disproportionate number of new infections and diagnoses across the U.S., with highest numbers in the Southeast. (Credit: AFP)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a new federal initiative in 2019 to end the nation's HIV epidemic by pumping hundreds of millions of dollars annually into states, counties and territories with the highest infection rates. Now, as overall rates declined 23% from 2012 to 2022, Latinos have not seen many changes, according to a new KFF Health News-Associated Press analysis.

The analysis found Latinos are experiencing a disproportionate number of new infections and diagnoses across the U.S., with rates being highest in the Southeast. At the same time, while African Americans continue to have the highest HIV rates in the U.S. overall, Latinos made up the largest share of new HIV diagnoses and infections among gay and bisexual men in 2022, accounting for about 33% of new infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.