AIDSVu is an online tool that makes detailed, yet easy-to-understand, data on persons living with an HIV infection diagnosis in the United States accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. The site provides users with a visual way to understand HIV prevalence data -- that is, the number of people who have been diagnosed and are living with HIV -- in communities across the country. AIDSVu offers a new and unique way to understand HIV on both a national and local level. AIDSVu also cross-references HIV data with other important information, like population demographics, the location of HIV testing sites and the estimated proportion of HIV diagnoses that are made late in the course of HIV disease.
The AIDSVu maps display the prevalence of persons living with an HIV diagnosis by state and county. The data are shown in aggregate, and no personal identifying information is provided. Different color shadings on the map are used to indicate prevalence levels across states and counties: yellow indicates the lowest prevalence, and brown indicates the highest prevalence. Gray shading indicates that data were not released, or are not shown for privacy reasons (in areas with a very small number of persons living with an HIV diagnosis or a small population size).
Zoom to the State or County Level: There are multiple ways you can zoom to the state and county level on the interactive map. At the top of the page in the row of icons there is a drop-down menu that allows you select and zoom to a state. The slider at the top left of the map can be adjusted upward to zoom in or downward to zoom out. Alternatively, you can double-click on a county on the map to zoom to that county. Using your computer's mouse, the map can also be dragged to adjust the portion of the map that is visible on screen.
Choose How to View the Data: The control panel to the left of the AIDSVu map allows you to choose the data you want to view. Selecting "# of cases" displays the range of people living with an HIV diagnosis in an area, which is useful for identifying areas where the greatest or fewest number of people with HIV live. Selecting "rate" displays the relative concentration of people living with HIV in an area, expressed as the number of cases per 100,000 people in the population of that area. Using the control panel, the data can also be filtered by race/ethnicity group, sex group and age group.
Find Local Resources: When viewing the AIDSVu map, you can choose to overlay important information about local resources. Check the box titled "HIV testing sites" to view links to nearby locations that offer HIV testing services, including their hours of operation, languages spoken, website, and contact information. You can also overlay information about local research sites that are conducting HIV prevention and vaccine trials.
View State Profiles: To see additional information about a state, choose the state from the drop-down box at the top of the screen titled "View state profile." This additional information includes details about the racial/ethnic composition of the state, estimated late HIV infection diagnoses, the number of people (if any) on the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program waiting list, a link to state HIV prevention services, and state health department contact information for HIV, STDs and viral hepatitis programs.
Learn More: To learn more about how the data on AIDSVu are collected and kept updated, click the Data Methods tab at the top of the screen. The FAQs tab at the top of the screen answers frequently asked questions about interpreting AIDSVu data.