More have HIV, fewer know it - HIV Digest - Brief Article

Men's Fitness, Nov, 2002

Thousands of Americans have HIV and don't know it, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

After interviewing 5,719 gay and bisexual men in Baltimore, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and Seattle, investigators found that 573 of them, or 10 percent, tested positive for the AIDS virus. Of that group, 440 men, or 77 percent, were unaware of their infection.

Ironically, the majority of those testing positive considered themselves to be at low risk, despite engaging in high-risk behavior. Researchers said denial, social conditioning and a lack of community awareness have facilitated a rise in infections, especially among minorities.

Approximately 900,000 Americans are living with HIV, with about 40,000 new infections occurring annually. Forty-three percent of the new cases are in gay men, 27 percent are attributed to heterosexual sex and 23 percent to intravenous drug use.

The federal agency has pledged to reduce new infections. "We can't wait for a vaccine," says the CDC's Ronald Valdiserri, M.D.