The CDC report highlights deep racial disparities that hinder the country's efforts to reduce new infections. Access to key medications for preventing HIV infection remains disproportionately limited among individuals facing a high risk of the virus, largely due to racial disparities in treatment accessibility.
The report states that new HIV infections decreased by 12% from 36,500 in 2017 to approximately 32,100 in 2021. This decline was primarily driven by a 34% drop in new infections among individuals aged 13 to 24.
The United States has set a national objective to reduce new HIV infections by 90% by 2030 in order to end the HIV epidemic. However, if progress continues at the current pace, the nation is not on track to achieve this goal, as stated by Dr. Jonathan Mermin, the head of the CDC's national center for HIV and STD prevention, during a press briefing.
Dr. Robyn Neblett Fanfair, a senior official in the CDC's HIV prevention efforts, emphasized that gay and bisexual men, as well as Black and Hispanic communities, face a higher risk of infection due to factors such as racism, economic inequality, social marginalization, and residential segregation. The majority of new HIV cases among gay and bisexual men were reported among Black and Hispanic individuals, with Black men accounting for approximately 40% and Hispanic men accounting for approximately 35% of new infections within this group. Among heterosexual women, approximately 60% of new infections were among Black women, while approximately 61% of new infections among heterosexual men were among Black men. Additionally, approximately 60% of intravenous drug users diagnosed with HIV in 2021 were white.
The CDC report also highlights significant disparities in the treatment of HIV. Only 30% of the 1.2 million individuals at the highest risk of HIV infection in 2021 were taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication to prevent infection. However, this percentage represents a substantial increase from 13% in 2017. U.S. health officials aim to raise the PrEP coverage rate to at least 50% of the at-risk population by 2025. However, there are significant racial disparities in treatment, with only 11% of Black people and 21% of Hispanics at risk of HIV infection receiving PrEP in 2021, compared to 78% of white individuals.
To address these disparities, the CDC is launching a campaign in the South that specifically focuses on improving PrEP coverage among Black and Hispanic gay and bisexual men.
It is worth noting that access to PrEP is currently threatened by a recent ruling by a federal judge in the U.S. Northern District of Texas, which struck down an Obamacare requirement for most private insurance plans to cover the medication. However, a federal appeals court has temporarily reinstated coverage of these services by putting the ruling on hold.
President Joe Biden has urged Congress to allocate $850 million to support efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S., representing a 48% increase over the funding for 2023. The request includes $237 million for a national PrEP program.
Additionally, preventing HIV infection is further complicated by the fact that approximately 1 in 8 individuals who have the virus are unaware of their infection, according to the CDC. Health officials aim to have 95% of people diagnosed with HIV achieve viral suppression through effective treatment by 2025. Virally suppressed individuals can live healthy lives and are unlikely to transmit the virus to their sexual partner.
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