Health Disparities in HIV Care and Strategies for Improving Equitable Access to Care

The US HIV/AIDS Strategy and Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiatives aim to reduce HIV transmission by 90% by 2030 through targeted care and prevention initiatives such as the Undetectable = Untransmittable strategy. Effective HIV management involves implementation of widely available testing to ensure early diagnosis, immediate or early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), patient adherence to medication, and retention in care to achieve viral suppression and improve clinical outcomes. A disproportionate burden of HIV incidence is experienced by certain populations that include Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx people, transgender individuals, those who inject drugs, older adults, and people living in the southeastern US. People with HIV (PWH) in vulnerable and underserved populations are more likely to be affected by the negative impacts of structural and social determinants of health-such as experiencing HIV-related stigma, poverty, and homelessness-resulting in barriers to accessing HIV care and achieving favorable treatment outcomes. Suboptimal HIV care negatively impacts outcomes for both individuals and society. Overall and comorbidity-free life expectancies are lower for individuals who start ART late than for the overall PWH population, and a lack of viral suppression increases community transmission rates. These poor outcomes increase costs for both patients and health care systems. Maintaining access to high-quality care by optimizing ART regimens, decreasing delays in ART initiation, and engaging patients in care by building trust and empowering patient choice will improve individual and population-level outcomes and support the EHE initiative. This manuscript examines strategies to improve HIV care access and outcomes for underserved populations, focusing on social determinants of health, stigma, geographic disparities, and treatment adherence, while highlighting the role of national initiatives and managed care programs in advancing health equity.