US: CDC Reports More HIV Testing, Treatment Needed

In a new Vital Signs report(www.cdc.gov) and accompanying early release Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR),(www.cdc.gov)the CDC said most new HIV infections seen in the United States in 2016 were transmitted by the nearly 40 percent of people who either did not know they had HIV infection or who had received a diagnosis but were not seeking care.

Published March 18, the first day of CDC's 2019 National HIV Prevention Conference,(www.cdc.gov) the reports offered the latest data on the impact of undiagnosed and untreated HIV infection in the country and underscore the critical need to expand HIV testing and treatment in the United States.

This need to get more people tested and into HIV care is key to the federal government's new initiative, Ending the HIV Epidemic -- A Plan for America.(www.hiv.gov)

The CDC said the initiative's goal is to stop the HIV epidemic in its tracks within 10 years by first focusing on the areas of the country with the greatest HIV burden before expanding efforts to all areas affected by HIV. Read more via AAFP

**HIV Treatment Can Prevent Transmission**

HIV Viral Suppression Rate in U.S. Lowest Among Comparable High-Income Countries

Source

Public Health Agency of Canada, 2018; The Kirby Institute for infection and immunity in society, 2018; European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2018; Bradley H, Rosenberg ES & Holtgrave DR, “Data-Driven Goals for Curbing the U.S. HIV Epidemic by 2030,” AIDS and Behavior, 2019; Iwamoto A et al., “The HIV care cascade: Japanese perspectives,” PLoS ONE, 2017.

NOTE: All data are for 2018 except for Canada (2016) and Japan (2015). U.S. estimate based on Bradley et al. All countries defined viral suppression as having a viral load test result of < 200 copies/mL. Country selection based on Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker.