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CDC Publishes Statistics on Annual Number of New HIV Infections in the United States from 2006 to 2009

August 2011

“The CDC’s first multi-year estimates from its national HIV incidence surveillance find that overall, the annual number of new HIV infections in the United States was relatively stable at approximately 50,000 new infections each year between 2006 and 2009. However, HIV infections increased among young men who have sex with men (MSM) between 2006 and 2009, driven by alarming increases among young, black MSM – the only subpopulation to experience a sustained increase during the time period.

“The new estimates were published … in the online scientific journal PLoS ONE. …

“Men who have sex with men remain the group most heavily affected by new HIV infections. While CDC estimates that MSM represent only 2 percent of the U.S. population, they accounted for the majority (61 percent; 29,300) of all new HIV infections in 2009. Young MSM (ages 13 to 29) were most severely affected, representing more than one quarter of all new HIV infections nationally (27 percent; 12,900 in 2009). …

“The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to exact a heavy toll on communities of color. While blacks represent 14 percent of the total U.S. population, the new estimates find that they accounted for 44 percent of new HIV infections in 2009. …

“Hispanics represent approximately 16 percent of the total U.S. population, but accounted for 20 percent of new HIV infections in 2009. …

“Announced by White House officials in July 2010, the National HIV/AIDS Strategy seeks to reduce HIV incidence in the United States and prioritizes HIV prevention efforts in the populations where HIV is most heavily concentrated – gay and bisexual men of all races, African Americans and Latinos. …

“New biomedical tools such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for MSM and heterosexual men and women, along with expanded testing, treatment and linkage to care, could have an important impact on infection rates, if used strategically and in combination with other proven prevention strategies.”

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