High HIV prevalence among low-income, Black women in New York City with self-reported HIV negative and unknown status.
BACKGROUND
Black women are disproportionally affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study investigates factors associated with newly identified HIV infection among previously self-reported HIV negative or unknown status black women living in high risk areas (HRAs) of New York City (NYC).


METHODS
Heterosexuals residing in or socially connected to NYC HRAs were recruited using respondent driven sampling for participation in the United States Centers for Disease Control-sponsored National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System in 2010. Eligible individuals were interviewed and offered an HIV test. The analysis reported here focused on black women with valid HIV results who did not report being HIV positive, and examined factors related to HIV infection in this group.


RESULTS
Of 153 black women who did not report being HIV positive at enrollment, 15 (9.8%) tested HIV positive. Age ≥40 years, ever injected drugs, and in the last 12 months had unprotected vaginal sex, exchange sex, last sex partner used crack, non-injection crack use, and non-injection heroin use were significantly associated with HIV infection (p<0.05). Only ever injected drugs (prevalence ratio: 5.1; 95% confidence interval: 2.0, 12.9) was retained in the final model.


CONCLUSIONS
Black women who had reported being either HIV negative or unaware of their serostatus had high HIV prevalence. Efforts to identify and treat HIV positive black women in HRAs should target those with a history of injection drug use. Frequent testing for HIV should be promoted in HRAs.
HIV Epidemiology Program, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Long Island City, NY 11101, USA. kreilly3@health.nyc.gov
Kathleen H
KH
Reilly
Alan
A
Neaigus
Samuel M
SM
Jenness
Holly
H
Hagan
Travis
T
Wendel
Camila
C
Gelpí-Acosta
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006306:Health Surveys; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D057566:Self Report; D012747:Sexual Partners; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult