On August 6, 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new estimate of the annual number of new HIV infections (HIV incidence) in the United States, revealing that the HIV epidemic is—and has been—worse than previously known. That estimate indicated that approximately 56,300 people were newly infected with HIV in the United States in 2006 (95% Confidence Interval: 48,200–64,500), which is higher than CDC’s previous estimate of 40,000. The new estimate also confirmed that gay and bisexual men of all races, African Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos were most heavily affected by HIV.
A new analysis was published in the September 12, 2008 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), which provides a more in-depth look at HIV incidence in specific U.S. populations.” For the first time, CDC was able to provide detailed breakdowns of new HIV infections by race/ethnicity, gender, route of transmission, and age. These findings will allow CDC and its partners to target HIV prevention efforts and to evaluate their impact with more precision than ever before.
The new analysis underscores the severe impact of HIV among gay and bisexual men of all races and ethnicities, African Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos. It also shows us that, within these groups, the impact is most severe among young black gay and bisexual men, white gay and bisexual men in their 30s and 40s, and black women.
Among Hispanics/Latinos, Men Account for Majority of New HIV Infections
CDC’s data show that Hispanics/Latinos are disproportionately affected by HIV, representing 18% of new HIV infections among the racial/ethnic groups examined in the new analysis (in 2006), while representing 15% of the total U.S. population.
CDC’s new analysis also indicates that men made up three-quarters (76%) of new infections among Hispanics/Latinos in 2006, the majority of which (72%) were MSM. The HIV incidence rate among Hispanic/Latino men was more than double that of white men (43.1 vs. 19.6 per 100,000).
While Hispanic/Latino women represented a quarter (24%) of new infections among Hispanics/Latinos in 2006, their rate of HIV infection was nearly four times that the rate of white women (14.4 vs. 3.8 per 100,000).
Many of the factors that place African Americans at elevated risk for HIV also contribute to disproportionate rates of infection among Hispanics/Latinos. However, some Hispanics/Latinos face additional unique challenges that place them at increased risk, including language barriers, cultural values that may impede acknowledgment of risk behaviors (e.g., machismo), and migration among those born outside the U.S. (e.g., long-term separation from main sexual partner resulting in new partners).
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/factsheets/MMWR-incidence.htm
