CDC: HIV testing, treatment not reaching enough Americans

Achieving the U.S. goal of reducing new HIV infections by 90% over 10 years will require accelerated efforts to diagnose, treat and prevent HIV, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 86% of the estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV in 2017 had received a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis and 63% of those diagnosed with HIV had the virus under control through effective treatment, the report notes. In 2018, about 18% of the estimated 1.2 million Americans who could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) received a prescription for the medication. The Department of Health and Human Services today launched a national program to make PrEP available at no cost to people without prescription drug insurance coverage. The number of new HIV infections remained relatively stable between 2013 and 2017 at about 38,000 per year. “The time is now to end HIV in America,” said CDC Director Robert Redfield, M.D. “We have the right tools, the right data and the right leadership to get this done.” In February, the administration proposed a national initiative to reduce new HIV infections by at least 90% by 2030 through testing, treatment and PrEP.