Less than a third of people with HIV have their viruses under control, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those whose infections were not in control, 66 percent were no longer in care and 22 percent had never been diagnosed.
The study found that younger adults with HIV are least likely to have the virus under control, with only 13 percent of people aged 18-24 having it under control.
“It’s alarming that fewer than half of HIV-positive young adults know they are infected,” Eugene McCray, M.D., director of CDEC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, said in the press release. “Closing that gap could have a huge impact on controlling HIV –- knowing your status is the first critical step toward taking care of your own health and avoiding transmission to others.”
However, the CDC wants to take it beyond that first step. “For people living with HIV, it’s not just about knowing you’re infected -– it’s also about going to the doctor for medical care,” CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., said in a press release.
The CDC is hoping that this report will urge people with HIV to receive treatment, ongoing care, information, and tools to help them prevent transmission to others. “Key to controlling the nation’s HIV epidemic is helping people with HIV get connected to -– and stay in -– care and treatment, to suppress the virus, live longer, and help protect others,” said Frieden.
Treatment has been shown to reduce sexual transmission by 96 percent, and the CDC is hoping to focus on treatment as the leading strategy for reducing the numbers of new infections.
Jonathan Mermin, M.D., director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention said in the press release, “There is untapped potential to drive down the epidemic through improved testing and treatment, but we’re missing too many opportunities. Treatment is crucial. It is one of our most important strategies in stopping new HIV infections.”
The study did not take into account other factors such as race or ethnicity, sex, or risky behavior.