HIV in the United States: At A Glance

HIV Diagnoses^a

In 2015, 39,513 people were diagnosed with HIV infection in the United States. The number of new HIV diagnoses fell 19% from 2005 to 2014. Because HIV testing has remained stable or increased in recent years, this decrease in diagnoses suggests a true decline in new infections. The decrease may be due to targeted HIV prevention efforts. However, progress has been uneven, and diagnoses have increased among a few groups.

Gay and bisexual men^b are the population most affected by HIV. In 2015^c:

• Gay and bisexual men accounted for 82% (26,375) of HIV diagnoses among males and 67% of all diagnoses.
• Black/African American^d gay and bisexual men accounted for the largest number of HIV diagnoses (10,315), followed by white gay and bisexual men (7,570).

Among all gay and bisexual men, trends have varied by race and over time. From 2005 to 2014:

• Among white gay and bisexual men, diagnoses dropped steadily, declining 18% overall.
• Among Hispanic/Latino^e gay and bisexual men, diagnoses rose by 24%.
• Although diagnoses among African American gay and bisexual men increased 22%, they have leveled off in the past 5 years, increasing less than 1% since 2010.
• Young African American gay and bisexual men (aged 13 to 24) experienced an 87% increase in diagnoses. But since 2010, diagnoses have declined 2%.

Heterosexuals and people who inject drugs also continue to be affected by HIV. In 2015:

• Heterosexual contact accounted for 24% (9,339) of HIV diagnoses.
• Women accounted for 19% (7,402) of HIV diagnoses. Diagnoses among women are primarily attributed to heterosexual contact (86%, or 6,391) or injection drug use (13%, or 980).
• Six percent (2,392) of HIV diagnoses in the United States were attributed to injection drug use (IDU) and another 3% (1,202) to male-to-male sexual contact^f and IDU.

From 2005 to 2014:

• Diagnoses among all women declined 40%, and among African American women, diagnoses declined 42%.
• Among all heterosexuals, diagnoses declined 35%, and among people who inject drugs, diagnoses declined 63%.

African Americans continue to experience the greatest burden of HIV compared to other races and ethnicities. Hispanics/Latinos are also disproportionately affected by HIV. In 2015:

• African Americans represented 12% of the US population, but accounted for 45% (17,670) of HIV diagnoses.
• Hispanics/Latinos represented about 18% of the US population, but accounted for 24% (9,290) of HIV diagnoses.

New HIV Diagnoses in the United States for the Most-Affected Subpopulations, 2015

Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2015. HIV Surveillance Report 2016;27. Subpopulations representing 2% or less of HIV diagnoses are not reflected in this chart. Abbreviation: MSM, men who have sex with men.

By age, of persons diagnosed with HIV in the United States in 2015, 4% (1,723) were aged 13-19, 37% (14,594) were aged 20-29, 24% (9,631) were aged 30-39, 17% (6,720) were aged 40-49, 12% (4,870) were aged 50-59, and 5% (1,855) were aged 60 and over.

The burden of HIV and AIDS is not evenly distributed geographically. The population rates (per 100,000 people) of persons diagnosed with HIV infection in 2015 were highest in the South (16.8), followed by the Northeast (11.6), the West (9.8), and the Midwest (7.6).^g The South generally is behind other regions in some key HIV prevention and care indicators.

Living With HIV

• At the end of 2013, the most recent year for which such data are available, an estimated 1,242,000 adults and adolescents were living with HIV.
• An estimated 161,200 (13%) had not been diagnosed.
• Young people were the most likely to be unaware of their infection. Among people aged 13-24, an estimated 51% (31,300) of those living with HIV didn’t know.

AIDS Diagnoses and Deaths

In 2015, 18,303 people were diagnosed with AIDS. Since the epidemic began in the early 1980s, 1,216,917 people have been diagnosed with AIDS.

In 2014, there were 12,333 deaths (due to any cause) of people with diagnosed HIV infection ever classified as AIDS, and 6,721 deaths were attributed directly to HIV.

^a HIV and AIDS diagnoses refer to the estimated number of people diagnosed with HIV infection, regardless of stage of disease at diagnosis, and AIDS during a given time period.
^b The term men who have sex with men is used in CDC surveillance systems. It indicates a behavior that transmits HIV infection, not how individuals self-identify in terms of their sexuality. This fact sheet uses the term gay and bisexual men to include gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, regardless of how they self-identify.
^c These numbers include only diagnoses attributed to male-to-male sexual contact, not those attributed to injection drug use and male-to-male sexual contact.
^d Referred to as African American in this fact sheet.
^e Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
^f The term male-to-male sexual contact is used in CDC surveillance systems to indicate a behavior that transmits HIV infection, not how individuals self-identify in terms of their sexuality.
^g This fact sheet uses the regions defined by the US Census Bureau and used in CDC’s National HIV Surveillance System:
Northeast: CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
Midwest: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI
South: AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
West: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY.