HIV infections in men are estimated to have declined by an estimated 12 percent in 2022 compared to 2018, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with the largest notable declines seen among the youngest age group.
The facts published in the CDC's HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report found that HIV incidence decreased by 12 percent between 2018 and 2022 among boys and men ages 13 and older. Among those between the ages of 13 and 24, the decline was 30 percent.
No change in HIV incidence was observed among the age groups between 25 and 64 years. The age group between 25 and 34 years accounted for the incidence. Data on incidence rates for people aged 65 and over were considered not as reliable, although the figures appeared low. No age group saw an increase in infections.
Across ethnic groups, Black people saw the largest decline in HIV incidence at 18 percent, although this group also accounted for the highest incidence in 2022. No changes were observed among Hispanic/Latino, white, and multiracial groups.
Regionally, the South was the only area in the US where incidence rates fell by 16 percent, while all other regions saw no changes.
The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute lamented that while the number of new cases is declining, it still remains high. The organization noted that this current pace is keeping the U.S. from achieving its goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030 and called for increased investment in this effort.
“While we would have liked to see better results, federal funding for CDC HIV Prevention and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Program, along with other critical programs, has remained flat for years. The only increases are for the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, and even that program has not received the increases it needs to be successful,” said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute.
“Unfortunately, without significant increases in care and treatment, and in prevention programs, including those for PrEP, we will continue to experience only small declines in new diagnoses, and racial and ethnic disparities will persist. As a nation we can and must do better,” Schmid added.
