HIV Rise In Diagnoses

Rise In HIV Diagnoses, 2030 End Goal Unlikely

Well, there's good news and bad news in regard to HIV rates. The bad news? New data from across the pond in England, unfortunately, shows that HIV cases are on at least a 15% rise. The good news? Rates among gay men in England are on the decrease. But here in the States, there is still no decrease in HIV cases in the Latin community. Let's discuss.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) released data that shows a noted increase in HIV cases between 2022 and 2023. Over the past few years, rates among gay men have fallen in part due to better HIV prevention measures and increased education and awareness. Unfortunately, England's straight community is not faring so well. The UKHSA reports that 60% of new cases can be attributed to male-to-female contact, with a 30% rise in straight-identifying women, and a 36% rise in straight-identifying men, as compared to only a 7% increase in gay men. There's also been a double rise in cases reported from those being diagnosed outside of the country and then relocating to the UK. Important to note, that the majority of all of these cases were discovered late in the contraction, already causing patients medical issues. Being diagnosed at a late stage indicates these patients were unaware of their status while engaging in sexual activity. And, like in the US, rates among ethnic men continue to be an issue. The UKHSA will increase testing resources and PrEP availability and target the straight and minority communities. The UK has a goal to eradicate HIV by 2030 (the US wants to curb it by 90% by that year), but these increases in cases may affect that target unless things start to decline.

 

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We are faring a bit better in the States. The CDC reports a 12% decrease in cases from 2018 to 2022, with a huge drop off in cases in age groups under 24 years of age. Among minority groups, cases in the Black community have dropped 18%, a big milestone where access to HIV testing and education has been difficult. A minority group that is not showing progress is the Hispanic/Latino community.

 

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While there has been no increase in reported cases, there has been no decrease either. Hispanic men are at four times the risk of contracting HIV than white men and at a two times higher risk of dying from the virus. Culturally, there is still a stigma around the disease as well as gay sex. Healthcare experts also say that having education and prevention materials in Spanish is also an issue. Unfortunately, the Latin community is just behind the times when it comes to modern understanding of HIV and prevention practices. Data indicates that Hispanic men are afraid to reveal their status, or are even afraid of going to a clinic to be tested for fear of being ostracized by their community. Access to medical resources is also an issue, which affects access to PrEP. Recently, the White House held a summit to address the issues of HIV rates in the Latino community. This month, on October 15th, the CDC celebrates National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day in an attempt to provide materials and resources directed toward the community.

National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day is October 15! Check out our resources to raise awareness about the impact of HIV on Hispanic/Latino communities.

✔️Campaign resources: https://t.co/aLARlMa7jq
✔️Digital toolkit: https://t.co/oOXuIjF2sK#NLAAD #StopHIVTogether pic.twitter.com/y2fm4YUYmz

— CDC HIV (@CDC_HIV) September 30, 2024

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