The re-entry period may be especially challenging for Black individuals living with HIV/AIDS: A large cohort study with PLWHA after released from Texas prisons suggested that fewer than 30% filled their prescription within 60 days, and Black Americans were even less likely to do so ( Baillargeon et al., 2009). Lapses in HIV care occur commonly after release ( Palepu et al., 2004 Springer et al., 2004) and are associated with antiretroviral treatment failure ( Baillargeon et al., 2009 Stephenson et al., 2005). Understanding the intersection of race, gender, and incarceration is therefore important for the development of interventions aiming to reduce the burden of HIV in Black communities.įor incarcerated people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), re-entering the community is a highly vulnerable period. A longitudinal analysis suggested that racial disparities in HIV prevalence may be explained by substantially elevated incarceration rates among Black men ( Johnson & Raphael, 2009). Incarcerated Black men are five times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV compared to their White counterparts ( CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015 Maruschak, 2004). In addition, Black Americans are more likely to have delayed diagnosis and treatment, inconsistent adherence, and subsequent HIV virologic failure and medical and psychiatric co-morbidities compared to other racial groups ( Bogart et al., 2011 Gebo et al., 2005).īlack communities, particularly Black men, are also disproportionately burdened by incarceration: an estimated one in three Black men spend time in prison in their lifetime ( Bonczar, 2003). The racial disparities of the HIV epidemic intersect with many vulnerability factors linked to HIV infection and inadequate health care, including socioeconomic status ( Adimora & Schoenbach, 2002), incarceration ( Brewer et al., 2014), and sexual identity ( Millett, Flores, Peterson, & Bakeman, 2007). In the United States, this is particularly evident among Black/African Americans, who make up 12% of the population yet account for 44% of new HIV infections ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). It is well-established that the HIV epidemic disproportionately affects racial minorities, marginalized groups, and disenfranchised communities ( Chapin-Bardales, Rosenberg, & Sullivan, 2017).