Faith Communities and HIV

HIV is a social justice issue, affecting all races and ethnicities in the United States. But some groups are disproportionately affected by the virus. In 2022, Black and Latino people made up more than half (70%) of estimated new HIV infections. Blacks also account for more people living with HIV than any other racial group, representing an estimated 40% of the 1.2 million people living with HIV in the U.S.

Particularly in the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s, HIV was often characterized as a moral and religious failing. In response, many faith communities engaged with HIV prevention efforts in the U.S., seeking to counter stigma and discrimination through education and collective action. Ministries across all faiths have continuously worked to address the social, structural, and systematic discrimination faced by people living with HIV and by communities most at-risk. They have rallied together in support of greater empathy and responsiveness to those infected and affected by the virus.