title: Trends in Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Antiretroviral Therapy Prescription and Viral Suppression in the United States, 2009-2013.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine trends in racial/ethnic disparities in antiretroviral therapy (ART) prescription and viral suppression among HIV-infected persons in care, overall and among men who have sex with men (MSM), from 2009 to 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) is a complex sample survey of HIV-infected adults receiving medical care in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used weighted interview and medical record data collected June 2009-May 2014 to estimate the prevalence of ART prescription and viral suppression among racial/ethnic groups overall and among MSM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant increases in ART prescription and viral suppression among all racial/ethnic groups from 2009 to 2013, both overall and among MSM. By 2013, overall and among MSM, the Hispanic-white disparity in ART prescription was nonexistent, and the black-white disparity was not significant after accounting for differences between blacks and whites in age and length of HIV diagnosis. Despite reductions in racial/ethnic disparities in viral suppression over the time period, significant disparities remained among the total population, even after adjusting for differences in racial/ethnic group characteristics. Encouragingly, however, there was no significant Hispanic-white disparity in viral suppression among MSM by 2013.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite significant improvements in ART prescription and viral suppression in recent years, racial and ethnic disparities persist, particularly for black persons. If the United States is to achieve the National HIV/AIDS Strategy goal of reducing HIV-related health disparities, continued efforts to accelerate the rate of improvement in ART prescription and viral suppression among Hispanic and black persons may need to be prioritized.
authors.affiliation: Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Christine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Mattson
authors.forename: Christopher H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Brooke
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hoots
authors.forename: Roy L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Shouse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005006:Ethnicity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D044469:Racial Groups; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents