There were an estimated 38 million individuals worldwide living with HIV at the end of 2019. In the United States, there are an estimated 1.2 million individuals living with HIV, with approximately 14% being unaware of their HIV status. Specific populations who are at increased risk of HIV are men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, individuals in correctional facilities, sex workers (and their clients), and transgender individuals.
HIV infections were estimated to have a direct medical cost to the US healthcare system of $13.7 billion in 2018. However, this direct medical cost is far lower than the total cost associated with HIV, as it does not include costs associated with lost productivity, other non-medical costs, and STI prevention.