Posts
According to Irene Hall, PhD, of
CDC, and colleagues, results of a study show that disparities in all levels of
HIV care exist based on age. The researchers used 2009 data from the National
HIV Surveillance System to determine HIV prevalence and the proportion of
individuals linked to care. Also, they used CDC’s Medical Monitoring Project to
examine the proportion of HIV-positive individuals retained in care, receiving
antiretrovirals, and experiencing viral suppression.
The researchers estimated that 1,148,200
people were HIV-positive in 2009, including 18 percent who had not been
diagnosed. Of this group, they estimated 44 percent were black, 19 percent
Hispanic or Latino, and 33 percent white. The majority of individuals (61
percent) were ages 35–54; 7 percent were 13–24; 15 percent were 25–34; 14
percent were 55–64; and 4 percent were 65 or older. Men composed 76 percent of
the individuals and an estimated 52 percent acquired the disease from sex with
men. In the population, 82 percent had been diagnosed HIV-positive, 66 percent
were linked to care, 37 percent were retained in care, 33 percent were taking
antiretrovirals, and 25 percent had suppressed viral load.
The researchers found differences by
age through the continuum of care. HIV-positive individuals ages 25–34 and
35-44 had lower rates of all aspects of care than older persons and much lower
rates of viral suppression compared to individuals ages 55–64.
The full report, “Differences in
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Care and Treatment Among Subpopulations in the
United States,” was published online in JAMA Internal Medicine (2013; doi:
10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.6841).
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus.
To learn more about The Friends of
AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
