Addressing Health Disparities in HIV: Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

Racial and ethnic minority, sexual and gender minority, and low-income people have historically experienced poorer health outcomes and poorer social conditions that lead to poorer health outcomes (social determinants of health) than nonminority people in the United States. To eliminate these health disparities, intentional and targeted interventions that address the needs and preferences of diverse populations are needed. To address disparities, the California HIV/AIDS Research Program focused their funding resources tightly on communities facing elevated HIV incidence or prevalence. This special issue describes interventions that aimed to increase linkage to and engagement in HIV-specific prevention or medical care, each uniquely tailored to the needs of an identified California population with disparate HIV-related health outcomes and each for implementation at a specific stage of the HIV prevention and care continuum.