Progress in reducing cases of HIV has stalled.
The CDC reported in a study Wednesday that the decline in HIV cases has plateaued because effective HIV prevention and treatment do not reach those areas that are most at risk. Rural areas, Southern states, and Latino and African-American communities face the most adversity in getting treatment.
“Now is the time for our nation to take bold action. We strongly support President Trump’s plan to end the HIV epidemic in America,” said CDC director Robert Redfield. “We must move beyond the status quo to end the HIV epidemic in America.”
President Trump outlined a national plan to eradicate America’s HIV epidemic in his State of the Union address. The plan includes diagnosing those with HIV as soon as possible, treating the infection rapidly to the point of viral suppression, protecting at-risk individuals with prevention methods, and responding quickly to growing chains of transmission.
The goal of the plan is to reduce new HIV cases by 90 percent over 10 years.
“We have an historic opportunity to improve the precision of prevention,” said Jonathan Mermin, the director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. “This infusion of resources will finally relegate America’s HIV epidemic to the pages of history.”
The CDC report shows that annual HIV infections have declined in some communities, but increased in others. From 2010 to 2016, annual HIV infections remained stable among gay and bisexual men, who continue to account for the largest portion, about 70 percent, of new infections. However, trends varied by race or ethnicity and age. The rate increased about 65 percent among both black and Latino gay and bisexual males ages 25 to 34. Infections increased 30 percent among Latino gay and bisexual men and decreased 16 percent among white gay and bisexual men.
