HIV prevention needs to be targeted at gay men of all ages, a close analysis of HIV incidence figures from the US published in the September 12th edition of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report shows. The figures also show that African Americans as well as Hispanic and Latino individuals are also disproportionately affected by HIV.
In early August figures were released suggesting that HIV incidence in the US could be 40% higher than previously thought.
Investigators have taken a closer look at the US HIV incidence estimates to determine the communities most affected by HIV.
This showed that gay and other men who have sex with men, African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos continue to bear the brunt of the US HIV epidemic.
The 2006 incidence estimates showed that 53% of new HIV infections involved gay and other men who have sex with men. Particular concern is expressed about the continuing number of young gay men, particularly those of black ethnicity, contracting HIV. But gay men in early middle-age also remain heavily affected by HIV. Most HIV infections amongst white gay men involve men in their 30s followed by those in their 40s.
HIV is also disproportionately affecting certain racial groups. Although black people represent only 12% of the US population, 46% of new HIV infections are in this group. Furthermore, 18% of HIV infections are amongst Latinos and Hispanics, despite these groups only constituting 15% of the US population.
“Levels of HIV infection in the US are too high and the epidemic must not be allowed to continue on its current course”, writes Dr Richard Wolitski, acting director of HIV prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a covering letter alerting healthcare workers to these statistics. He adds that HIV prevention needs to be better tailored “to meet the needs of men who have sex with men of all ages, and to strengthen efforts to reach young black men who have sex with men to ensure that HIV does not become a rite of passage for successive generations of gay and bisexual men”.
Dr Wolitski also writes that more needs to be done to curb the HIV epidemic amongst African-American and Latina women.
Prejean J. et al. Subpopulation estimates from the HIV incidence surveillance system --- United States, 2006. MMWR 57: 985 – 989, 2008.