NEW INTERACTIVE VISUALIZATION: NYC HIV Testing Data

HIV testing is a key component to Ending the Epidemic and critical to achieving New York State's goals as outlined in the 2015 Blueprint to End the Epidemic by the end of 2020.  People with HIV who know they are infected can begin medical treatment, and HIV medical treatment has been shown to reduce morbidity, mortality and secondary transmission.

As stated in the Blueprint, "There are as many as 22,000 people living with HIV in NYS who are not aware of their HIV status.  It is critical that access to voluntary HIV testing be increased so these individuals can learn their status and access treatment to improve their health and protect their partners..."

In 2014, New York State launched the Expanded HIV Testing (EHT) Initiative, which aims to increase the capacity of emergency departments to offer HIV tests.  In New York City, the Bronx Knows and Brooklyn Knows campaigns were launched in 2008 and 2010, respectively, with the goal of increasing voluntary HIV testing among New York City residents.  Grown out of these borough-wide initiatives, New York Knows has now expanded across the entire city. At the end of 2013, 34% of New York City residents tested for HIV in the preceding 12 months¹. HIV testing varies greatly by neighborhood, and a higher proportion of residents who live in the South Bronx, East Harlem, and Bedford Stuyvesant (central Brooklyn) were tested for HIV when compared to other NYC neighborhoods.  The new interactive tool on the Dashboard displays HIV testing estimates across neighborhoods and among different demographic populations, looking at trends dating back to 2005.

To explore the new data visualization, click on the image below!

Have a comment? Please post below.

1.  New York City Community Health Survey, 2013.