Saving Money and Lives: Investing in the Health of Black Gay Men

An investment framework for the global response to HIV revealed how strategic use of resources for HIV prevention, care and treatment can be cost effective. Meeting unmet HIV needs can benefit PLWHAs and also programs. Our presentation shows how attention to unmet needs can avert HIV/AIDS and be cost-effective.

Using secondary data from the literature, as well as the US Census Bureau, the size of the population of black gay men was estimated. Sensitivity analysis addressed funding changes based on changes in input parameters, i.e,. seropositivity awareness. Costs of addressing unmet needs were estimated using standard economic micro-costing techniques, evaluations and mathematical modeling approaches based on HIV transmission rates and per client cost estimates. The following unmet needs were approximated: – 3,700 black gay men living with HIV were in need of housing – 30,600 black gay men living with HIV who are not yet diagnosed and in need of diagnostic services – 71,900 black gay men living with HIV who have unmet HIV care, and treatment needs – 19,500 black gay men living with HIV who might benefit from behavioral prevention services.

Data shows substantial unmet HIV housing, prevention, care and treatment needs among black gay men in the U.S. Investments to address these needs have the potential for being cost-effective and to dramatically alter the HIV epidemic among U.S. black gay men.