Every year on December 1, we commemorate World AIDS Day to bring attention to the tremendous impact of the HIV epidemic in the United States and around the world. In observance of World AIDS Day, today CDC launched a special report, CDC Vital Signs on HIV Testing in the United States, in recognition of the pivotal role that HIV testing plays in our national HIV prevention strategy.
Some highlights of the CDC Vital Signs report on HIV testing include:
- In 2009, an estimated 82.9 million Americans ages 18-64—45% of this age group—reported they had been tested for HIV.
- At least 1 in 3 Americans who test positive for HIV is tested too late in his or her infection to get the full advantage of life-saving treatment.
- Gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men have the highest rates of HIV, but a 2008 study conducted in 21 major US cities, found that about 40% had not been tested in the past year.
- African Americans made up more than half of HIV diagnoses in 2008, but 2 in 5 African Americans have never been tested.
