The last Black man with HIV in San Francisco: the potential role of gentrification on HIV getting to zero achievements

Abstract

San Francisco was the first city in the USA to develop a Getting to Zero HIV elimination strategy. The cause of decreased HIV incidence has been attributed to the use of biomedical prevention methods, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and treatment as prevention (TasP). These strategies have benefitted White men who have sex with men (MSM), whose population has increased over the past decade. However, Black MSM in San Francisco continue to have higher HIV incidence and outmigration rates. We posit that the declining overall HIV incidence, including among White MSM, is not only explained by the use of TaSP and PrEP, but is also due to the declining Black population and rising HIV incidence among Black MSM, who have historically been more likely to acquire HIV due to structural, racial, and criminal justice-related factors than have White MSM.