Press Release

Embargoed Until: Tuesday, November 25, 2014, 1:00 pm EST
Contact:
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis,
STD, and TB Prevention
404-639-8895, NCHHSTPMediaTeam@cdc.gov

\n $\"HIV$ There is an urgent need to reach more people with testing and make sure those with the virus receive prompt, ongoing care and treatment.
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HIV STAGES OF CARE
There is an urgent need to reach more people with testing and make sure those with the virus receive prompt, ongoing care and treatment.
Entire Infographicpdf icon

Just 30 percent of Americans with HIV had the virus under control in 2011, and approximately two-thirds of those whose virus was out of control had been diagnosed but were no longer in care, according to a new Vital Signs report published today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new study underscores the importance of making sure people with HIV receive ongoing care, treatment, and other information and tools that help prevent transmission to others, as well as the need to reach more people with HIV testing. Among those whose infection was not under control, more than three times the proportion (66 percent) were no longer in care as had never been diagnosed (20 percent).

The HIV epidemic continues to threaten the health and well-being of many Americans \u2013 with more than one million people living with the disease in the U.S. and 50,000 new infections each year.

When used consistently, antiretroviral medication can keep HIV controlled at very low levels in the body (known as viral suppression), allowing people with HIV to live longer, healthier lives and reducing the likelihood they will transmit HIV to others. Treatment has been shown to reduce sexual transmission of HIV by 96 percent, and U.S. clinical guidelines now recommend that everyone diagnosed with HIV receive treatment, regardless of their CD4 cell count or viral load.

\u201cFor people living with HIV, it\u2019s not just about knowing you\u2019re infected \u2013 it\u2019s also about going to the doctor for medical care,\u201d said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. \u201cAnd for health care facilities, it\u2019s not just about the patients in your care \u2013 it\u2019s every person diagnosed, and every person whose diagnosis has not yet been made. Key to controlling the nation\u2019s HIV epidemic is helping people with HIV get connected to \u2013 and stay in \u2013 care and treatment, to suppress the virus, live longer and help protect others.\u201d

The new study estimates that of the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV in 2011, 70 percent did not have their virus under control. Among the nearly 840,000 people who had not achieved viral suppression:

66 percent had been diagnosed but were not engaged in regular HIV care,
20 percent did not yet know they were infected,
4 percent were engaged in care but not prescribed antiretroviral treatment, and
10 percent were prescribed antiretroviral treatment but did not achieve viral suppression.

The percentage of Americans with HIV who achieved viral suppression remained roughly stable (26 percent in 2009 vs. 30 percent in 2011).

CDC focus on stopping HIV transmission through treatment

CDC has increased the focus on diagnosing people with HIV, supporting linkage to ongoing care and treatment, provision of risk reduction information, and increasing medication adherence. By making the most of these strategies for those who are HIV-positive, as well as other high impact strategies to protect those who remain uninfected but are at highest risk for HIV, CDC believes substantial progress can be made in reducing new infections.

\u201cThere is untapped potential to drive down the epidemic through improved testing and treatment, but we\u2019re missing too many opportunities,\u201d said Jonathan Mermin, M.D., director of CDC\u2019s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention. \u201cTreatment is crucial. It is one of our most important strategies for stopping new HIV infections.\u201d

Current initiatives to promote HIV testing and treatment include innovative partnerships to make HIV testing simple, accessible and routine; programs to help health departments identify and reach out to infected individuals who have fallen out of care; and public awareness campaigns to urge testing and encourage people with HIV to seek ongoing care.

These efforts are an essential component of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, launched in 2010. Key goals of the strategy include reducing HIV incidence, increasing access to care and optimizing health outcomes, and reducing HIV-related health disparities.

Younger adults with HIV least likely to have virus under control

Today\u2019s study also found that viral suppression increased with age, with young people significantly less likely than older age groups to have their virus under control \u2013 only 13 percent of people aged 18-24 were virally suppressed, compared to 23 percent among those aged 25-34, 27 percent among those aged 35-44, 34 percent among those aged 45-54, 36 percent among those aged 55-64, and 37 percent among those aged 65 and older. The researchers attribute the disparity in large part to the fact that fewer than half (49 percent) of 18- to 24-year olds with HIV have been diagnosed, underscoring the need for more HIV testing in this population.

\u201cIt\u2019s alarming that fewer than half of HIV-positive young adults know they are infected,\u201d said Eugene McCray, M.D., director of CDC\u2019s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. \u201cClosing that gap could have a huge impact on controlling HIV \u2013 knowing your status is the first critical step toward taking care of your own health and avoiding transmission to others.\u201d

The study did not find statistically significant differences in viral suppression by race or ethnicity, sex, or risk group.
For additional resources on today\u2019s analysis, visit www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESexternal icon

Only 3 in 10 Americans with HIV have virus in check

Press Release

CDC focus on stopping HIV transmission through treatment

Younger adults with HIV least likely to have virus under control