Estimates of New HIV Infections in the United States
Data Confirm Most Severe Impact Is Among Gay and Bisexual Men of All Races and Black Men and Women
In recognition of World AIDS Day, CDC is highlighting updated estimates of new HIV infections in the United States. Accurately tracking the HIV epidemic is essential to the nation's HIV prevention efforts. Yet monitoring trends in new HIV infections has historically posed a major challenge, in part because many HIV infections are not diagnosed until years after they occur. New technology developed by CDC can be used to distinguish recent from longstanding HIV infections. CDC has applied this advanced technology to develop the first national surveillance system of its kind that is based on direct measurement of new HIV infections. This new system represents a major advance in HIV surveillance and allows for more precise estimates of HIV incidence (the annual number of new infections) than ever before possible.
CDC's first estimates from this system reveal that the HIV epidemic is — and has been — worse than previously known. Results indicate that approximately 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006. This figure is roughly 40 percent higher than CDC's former estimate of 40,000 infections per year, which was based on limited data and less precise methods.
Analysis by Transmission Category
- MSM — Gay and bisexual men are referred to in CDC surveillance systems as men who have sex with men (MSM) and accounted for 53 percent (28,700) of estimated new HIV infections in 2006.
- Heterosexuals — Heterosexuals accounted for 31 percent (16,800) of estimated new HIV infections in 2006.
- IDUs —Injection drug users (IDUs) accounted for 12 percent (6,600) of estimated new HIV infections.
Analysis by Race/Ethnicity
Blacks — CDC's new estimates confirm that blacks are more heavily and disproportionately affected by HIV than any other racial/ethnic group in the United States. The rate of new infections among non-Hispanic blacks was seven times as high as that among whites in 2006 (83.7 versus 11.5 new infections per 100,000 population). Blacks also accounted for the largest share of new infections (45%, or 24,900). While race itself is not a risk factor for HIV infection, a range of issues contribute to the disproportionate HIV risk for African Americans in the U.S., including poverty, stigma, higher rates of other STDs, and drug use.
Hispanics — The rate of new HIV infections among Hispanics in 2006 was three times as high as that among whites (29.3 versus 11.5 per 100,000), and Hispanics accounted for 17 percent of new infections (9,700). Historically, the number of new infections among Hispanics has been lower than for whites and blacks.
Whites — Whites accounted fo 35 percent (19,600) of estimated new HIV infections in 2006.
Asians/Pacific Islanders and American Indians/Alaska Natives — Data suggest that Asians/Pacific Islanders accounted for roughly 2 percent of new infections and American Indians/Alaska Natives accounted for roughly 1 percent of new HIV infections in 2006.
More Information
Learn More about HIV Incidence
- Podcast: A Sentinel Event: CDC Releases New HIV Incidence Estimates for the United States
- Podcast: CDC-developed Breakthrough Technology Allows Clearest Picture to Date of HIV Infections in the U.S.: A Methods Discussion
- Podcast: Next Steps: CDC's Response to the New HIV Incidence Estimates for the United States
For more information on HIV and AIDS, go to CDC's HIV/AIDS Web site.
