For years, Latinos represented the biggest share of new HIV cases in this city, but testing data suggests the tide may be turning. The number of Latinos newly testing positive for HIV dropped 46% from 2022 to 2023, according to a preliminary report released in July by the San Francisco Department of Public Health. The decrease could mark the first time in five years that Latinos haven't accounted for the largest number of new cases, leading to cautious optimism that the millions of dollars the city has spent to remedy the troubling disparity is working.
But outreach workers and health care providers say that work still needs to be done to prevent, and to test, for HIV, especially among new immigrants. "I am very hopeful, but that doesn’t mean that we’re going to let up in any way on our efforts," said Stephanie Cohen, who oversees the city's HIV program. Public health experts said the city's latest report could be encouraging, but that more data is needed to know whether San Francisco has addressed inequities in its HIV services.
For instance, it's still unclear how many Latinos were tested or if the number of Latinos exposed to the virus had also fallen — key health metrics the public health department declined to provide to KFF Health News. Testing rates are also below pre-pandemic levels, according to the city. "If there are fewer Latinos being reached by testing efforts despite a need, that points to a serious challenge to addressing HIV," said Lindsey Dawson, the a.