Integrated social-structural and economic factors contribute to the disproportionate burden of HIV/AIDS among certain groups. “Social determinants of HIV-related disparities” refers to the complex and interconnected relationship between the social environment, physical environment, and health services that contribute to vulnerability to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In general, determinants of health (and disparities) are jointly shaped by the distribution of power, resources, and economic development at the global, national, and local levels.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), social environment, physical environment, and health services are the three primary components of HIV-related health disparities. Factors within the social environment that contribute to HIV-related disparities include components of an individual's social system such as discrimination, socioeconomic status, educational level, and marital status. The physical ...