Sheryl Lee Ralph is sounding the alarm on a growing public health concern that she says isn’t being taken seriously enough: an ongoing rise in HIV cases among Black women. Speaking at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Academy Awards viewing party in West Hollywood, Ralph used the high-profile moment to call attention to what she described as a persistent and overlooked crisis.
“I’m here because, believe it or not, HIV and AIDS is not a dead issue in America right now,” Ralph said to Variety. “It is spreading. We are still seeing upticks across the South, especially in women of color, and it is something that needs to be paid attention to.”
Her warning comes as federal data from the National Institutes of Health shows Black women account for roughly 54% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S., despite making up just a fraction of the overall female population.
The disparity is even more pronounced when looking at long-term trends. Black women are currently living with HIV at rates up to 17 times higher than White women, and their infection rate remains about 11 times higher overall.
While national HIV cases have declined in recent years, those gains have not translated evenly—rates among Black women have largely remained stable, particularly in the Southern U.S., where the majority of new diagnoses are concentrated.
Ralph also pointed to gaps in prevention as part of the issue, specifically the underuse of PrEP, a medication that significantly reduces the risk of contracting HIV.
“So many women have no idea that PrEP is also for them. It’s not just for men,” she said.
That lack of awareness is reflected in data showing lower PrEP uptake among Black women, even as heterosexual contact accounts for approximately 83% of new HIV cases among women.
The conversation extends beyond awareness into access. Public health research has consistently linked higher HIV rates among Black women to structural barriers, including limited healthcare access, lower rates of viral suppression, and socioeconomic factors such as poverty.
Black transgender women face even steeper challenges, representing a disproportionate share of diagnoses in major U.S. cities.
The annual fundraiser, hosted by Elton John, raised $10.6 million to support HIV prevention and treatment efforts, reinforcing the ongoing need for resources and advocacy.
“Every year we come together… to advocate for the people still vulnerable,” John said in a statement following the event.