December 5, 2007

HIV Rates Increasing Most in Young Black Gay/Bisexual Men

The sharpest increase in HIV diagnoses is occurring among young black men who have sex with men (MSM), notably those in their teens and early 20s. The new data were reported yesterday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta.

To better understand HIV transmission trends among different populations of MSM, Joseph Prejean, PhD, from the CDC, and his colleagues evaluated data from the national HIV/AIDS Reporting System, which collects data on HIV and AIDS diagnoses in 33 states with confidential names-based reporting systems. Adult and adolescent cases of HIV and AIDS among black, white and Hispanic MSM diagnosed between January 2001 and December 2005 were included in the analysis.

Prejean’s team grouped the MSM according to their year of birth to establish trends in new HIV diagnoses by age. For instance, men who were born in 1970 and were diagnosed with HIV in 2001 would have been 31 at the time of their diagnosis. Men born in 1974 but diagnosed in 2005 would also have been 31 at the time of their diagnosis.

They found that men born between 1965 and 1969 had the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in every year between 2001 and 2005, however the rate among men born during those years remained relatively stable over the four-year period.

Among black MSM born between 1975 and 1979 and between 1980 and 1984, however, the rate of new HIV diagnoses increased dramatically between 2001 and 2005. In fact, by 2005, the rate of HIV diagnoses among black MSM born between 1980 and 1984 was nearly equal to the men with the highest rate overall—those born between 1965 and 1969. Rates of new diagnoses among white and Hispanic men born between 1980 and 1984 did not increase nearly as dramatically.

Source:

Prejean J, Hall HI, An Q, et al. Birth-year Cohort Analysis of HIV/AIDS Diagnoses Among MSM in 33 States, 2001-2005 [Abstract B08-5]. 2007 National HIV Prevention Conference, Atlanta, 2007.

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Previous Comments:

Kenya patton, hayti, 2008-08-06 15:50:37
I think that if you got H.I.V you tell the person you with that you got H.I.V so thay can go get tested or don't be with that person at all

Bradley Fowler, Ypsilanti, 2008-05-08 10:09:06
I am interested in more details on how you propose bringing more insightful information into tthe community. Being positive myself for more than fourteen years, I have come to a point where I am willfully interested in campaigning a cease the spread on HIV. The continued spread is due to those who are positive, and not informing their partners. Log on to authorbradley.tripod.com and review my website. I wish to hear from you ASAP. Please respond as time permits. Thank you! Bradley

Kirk, Dallas, 2007-12-17 07:22:30
This news makes me sad for any group. I am POZ for 3yrs, African American, and 35. What can I do to help spread the message to younger African Americans to protect themselves and educate themselves on this issue? Thanks, Kirk