In Mecklenburg County, the HIV fight is far from over, and Black residents are still taking the hardest hits. Even with medicines that can turn HIV into a manageable chronic condition for many, new diagnoses have climbed in recent years. Prevention and outreach efforts still frequently miss neighborhoods and people of color, and the numbers show it: Black residents made up roughly 60% of new HIV infections in 2024.
According to WFAE, HIV cases among African Americans in Mecklenburg rose from 135 in 2020 to 171 in 2024, with a brief dip to 169 in 2023. People interviewed for the report pointed to familiar barriers that refuse to budge: stigma that keeps people from getting tested, housing instability that makes it harder to stay in care, and gaps in testing and prevention services.
County Data And Targets
Mecklenburg County’s State of the County Health presentation reports that 7,724 residents were living with HIV as of Dec. 31, 2024, and that there were 285 new diagnoses that year, according to Mecklenburg County and state surveillance figures from the North Carolina DHHS. The county's CHAMPS/Getting to Zero dashboard lays out a four-pillar strategy of diagnose, treat, prevent and respond, which is supposed to guide testing efforts, access to PrEP and linkage to care. CHAMPS hosts the local dashboards and resources tied to that plan.
Community And Provider Concerns
At a February town hall held with Charlotte Black Pride, 38-year-old Lorenzo Tucker spoke about how antiretroviral therapy keeps him healthy. He also said he was later terminated from his job at C.W. Williams Community Health Center after hosting the event, a move that raised eyebrows among community members who say they are already wary of stigma in healthcare settings.
Dr. Marc Johnson, who helped draft the Getting to Zero plan, told reporters that modern treatments and PrEP are effective, but that the county has not put in the resources needed to truly drive infections down. WFAE also reported that the county received more than $15 million in state and federal funds from 2020 through 2025 aimed at HIV work, a sum that advocates say should come with visible results in Black communities.
Prevention, PrEP And The Road Ahead
Public health leaders say the most straightforward way to cut new infections is not a mystery: significantly expand HIV testing and get more people on PrEP. The CHAMPS site notes that PrEP can reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90% and highlights free testing, at-home test kits and PrEP navigation offered through local programs. National guidance also emphasizes PrEP’s high effectiveness when taken as prescribed, per CDC resources, so the science is not the sticking point here.
Advocates argue that the real challenge is converting those millions of dollars into practical, culturally tailored outreach. That means mobile testing in neighborhoods that are often overlooked, trusted messengers who understand local Black communities and support that links people not only to medication but also to stable housing and ongoing care.
Where To Get Tested Or Find PrEP
Mecklenburg County Public Health lists free on-site HIV and STI screening locations, appointment numbers and walk-in options on its clinical services pages. For local testing information, PrEP details and Getting to Zero resources, residents can turn to the county health department's HIV and STD testing page and the CHAMPS dashboard linked above.
