Certain populations are disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic on a national level and also reflected in the data for Illinois and Chicago. These populations, also referred to as priority populations, are as follows: Black MSM, Hispanic/Latinx MSM, Young Black MSM, Young Hispanic/Latinx MSM, People Over the Age of 50, Cisgender Black Women, Transgender Women of Color, and Chicago EMA (extended metro area). Gay, bisexual, same gender loving, and other men who have sex with men (MSM), for instance, have been and remain among the most impacted.

With dismantling racism as a guiding principle of Getting to Zero Illinois, we want to make sure we are closely monitoring the data coming from and responding to the needs of these priority populations. We also consider the intersection of race and gender, the needs of the aging population, and the impact on transgender women. Lastly, GTZ-IL is an initiative for the entire state of Illinois. Because half of those living with HIV in Illinois are living in the Chicago and surrounding metro area, we also monitor and present data on this population.