June 29, 2009

High Percentage of U.S. Residents Receiving Late HIV Diagnoses

Forty-five percent of people newly diagnosed with HIV infection in the United States progress to AIDS within three years, according to new data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the June 26 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The findings suggest that many people are being diagnosed late in the course of their HIV infection; the findings also underscore, according to the CDC authors, the need for expanded testing efforts in order to link people to necessary care as soon as possible.

The latest data from the CDC, released to coincide with National HIV Testing Day on June 27, involved 281,421 people in 34 states with confidential name-based HIV reporting who tested positive for the virus between 1996 and 2005. The results indicated that, within one year of their HIV diagnosis, 38.3 percent of patients had received an AIDS diagnosis; another 6.7 percent received an AIDS diagnosis within one to three years after their HIV diagnosis.

The percentage of people with an AIDS diagnosis, reached within three years of their HIV diagnosis, was greater among those who were older. About 63 percent of men and women 60 years old or older progressed to AIDS within three years, compared with 23 percent of those 13 to 19 years old diagnosed with HIV.

Whites were the least likely to have an AIDS diagnosis three years after their initial HIV diagnosis. About 42 percent of white men and women newly diagnosed with HIV progressed to AIDS within three years, compared with 46 percent of African-American individuals, 48 percent of Hispanics or Latinos and 50 percent of Asians.

Fortunately, there has been a downward trend in the number of people progressing to AIDS within three years of their initial HIV diagnosis. According to the CDC, those who received an HIV diagnosis in 2003 were less likely (44.5 percent) to have an AIDS diagnosis three years later than people diagnosed with HIV in 1996 (49 percent). In addition, people who received an HIV diagnosis in 2005 were less likely (36.4 percent) to have an AIDS diagnosis one year later than people diagnosed with HIV in 1996 (43.2 percent).

“To reduce late testing for HIV infection,” the CDC authors concluded in an accompanying editorial, “health care providers should fully implement both routine and risk-based HIV testing, and local public health officials should continue educational efforts regarding the importance of early HIV testing.”

Search: testing, diagnosis, AIDS, treatment, CDC, MMWR

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Previous Comments:

jerry, ST. Petersburg, 2009-07-04 19:26:18
If the Gay community had let the Dr's in charge of this program back in the old days and not been screaming queens worried about our rights being taken away from us we would have come a lot further on finding the people tha had it at the time. Only thing is what would the Dr's had been able to do. they can barely control the virus now. Thank you

Craig, Orlando, 2009-07-01 12:31:53
The reason I feel is because it is not a standard test at hospitals or doctors offices. We need HIV test to be a standard test at each and every medical facility. it is almost like don't ask don't tell

Carleton, Bronx, 2009-07-01 11:24:26
It's not who you are, but what YOU do is what we ALL must keep in mind. If one is educated about HIV/AIDS prevention, he/she must educate the other who is not as educated.

Jack n Jill, Las Vegas, 2009-06-30 10:16:33
More people would get tested if the stigma was not so great. Testing HIV poz equates to being labeled a potential criminal, a queer, a protitute or a drug addict.