Blacks, HIV and Washington DC: Despite the fact that blacks and males are both minorities in DC, 73% of residents living with HIV are male, and three-quarters are black

Among females living with HIV, 92% are black. The World Health Organization (WHO) categorizes groups with HIV prevalence higher than 1% as reaching an epidemic level. Black residents with HIV are almost four times the 1% epidemic threshold; Hispanics are at 1.6% and whites are at 1.2%. Black men who have sex with men and black men engaging in injection drug use represent 26% – the largest group of HIV cases in DC; black heterosexual females represent the second largest group.