September 26, 2014
Dear Colleagues,
On September 27 we
will observe the seventh annual National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness
Day.
This awareness day gives us an opportunity to reflect upon the
challenges we face and our ongoing efforts in the fight against
HIV/AIDS. CDC is committed fully to stopping the spread of HIV among gay
and bisexual men in the United States and ensuring that gay and
bisexual men living with HIV receive the care they need to lead longer
and healthier lives.
Although
gay and bisexual men represent only about 2% of the U.S. population,
they account for 56% of persons living with an HIV diagnosis.
In 2010, they accounted for 63% of all estimated new HIV infections.
Both numbers indicate that HIV among gay and bisexual men remains an urgent issue that we must continue to address.
To
stop HIV, it is critical that everyone who is infected with the virus
knows it. Unfortunately, nearly 1 in 5 gay and bisexual men living with
HIV are undiagnosed.
Getting tested
for HIV is the critical first step in obtaining treatment that can
preserve the health and prevent further transmission.
That is why CDC
recommends that all
sexually active gay and bisexual men take an HIV test at least once a
year. Some men may benefit from more frequent testing (e.g., every 3 to 6
months).
Young
gay and bisexual men (aged 13-24 years) are disproportionately affected
by HIV, accounting for 72% of new HIV infections among all persons aged
13 to 24, and 30% of new infections among all gay and bisexual men. Young
African American gay and bisexual men aged 13-24 years are the most
severely affected of all, representing 55% of new HIV infections among
all young gay and bisexual men.
Moreover, among those diagnosed with
HIV, young gay and bisexual men are the least likely of all gay and
bisexual men to be linked to treatment, retained in care, or virally
suppressed.
According to this week’s MMWR,
among the 416,730 gay and bisexual men, 18 years and older, living with
diagnosed HIV in the United States and Puerto Rico, 42% achieved viral
suppression at their most recent test.
Young gay and bisexual men aged
18-24 had the lowest level (26%) of viral suppression.
To address these and other issues, CDC
allocated $55 million in 2011 to be spent over 5 years to support
community-led HIV prevention programs for young gay and bisexual men and
transgender people of color.
We are working hand-in-hand with our many
partners in local communities across the country, and at the state and
the national levels, to raise awareness of the risks of HIV among young
gay and bisexual men.
CDC also supports health departments in
implementing HIV testing programs in clinical and community settings and
providing behavioral interventions for gay and bisexual men at highest
risk.
CDC also supports HIV testing in pharmacies to ensure that even
more get tested.
Additionally, CDC has released communication campaigns that focus on the populations most affected by HIV.
One of the recent CDC campaigns, Start Talking. Stop HIV. was designed by and for gay and bisexual men.
This campaign seeks
to reduce new HIV infections among gay and bisexual men by encouraging
sex partners to discuss openly a range of HIV prevention and treatment
strategies and related health issues.
Effective partner communication
about HIV can reduce HIV transmission by supporting HIV testing, HIV
status disclosure, condom use, and the use of medicines to prevent and
treat HIV.
HIV Treatment Works is
the latest campaign released by CDC that shows how people living with
HIV can overcome barriers to get in care and stay on treatment and
provides information, as well as resources, on how to live well.
Other CDC campaigns include Testing Makes Us Stronger, which aims to increase the number of African American gay and bisexual men getting tested for HIV, and REASONS/RAZONES promoting HIV testing among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men.
In
addition to the above activities, CDC supports effective biomedical HIV
prevention strategies to bring about reductions in new HIV infections.
These include:
- Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for people who are at high risk of getting it in order to prevent HIV infection,
- Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) involves taking medicines within 72 hours of a possible exposure to prevent infection, and
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for everyone diagnosed with HIV to lower viral load, maintain health, and reduce further transmission
Our
work to prevent HIV remains a challenge and a top priority for CDC. In
the coming year, we will continue to work with our many partners to make
all gay and bisexual men, especially those at highest risk, aware of
these proven HIV prevention and treatment strategies, and of what they
can do to obtain the care they need and live well.
We invite you to
click on the link below to learn more about
Finally, please check out the recently published HuffPost, Healthy Living blog, A Prescription for Ending the HIV Epidemic, providing additional perspective on HIV treatment, specifically combined treatment strategies, and the benefits.
Sincerely,
/Jonathan H. Mermin/
Jonathan H. Mermin, MD, MPH
Director, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Director, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention /Eugene McCray/
Eugene McCray, MD
Director, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention
