U.S. goals for earlier HIV diagnosis and treatment may be out of reach

 

In 2015, only 66% of U.S. youth who were diagnosed with HIV in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program were introduced to proper care within 90 days of diagnosis, falling far short of the 2020 national goal to introduce 85% of HIV-affected youth to proper care within 30 days.

In an analysis of data from a CDC-funded program covering 61 state and local health departments and 123 community-based organizations in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the CDC looked at HIV tests, new positive diagnoses, and linkage between patient and care within 90 days of diagnosis. Of 2,973 youths who were newly diagnosed with HIV, 1,955 (66%) were connected to care within 90 days, and 1,871 were interviewed for partner services, according to the CDC. Of 1,911 youths who had been previously diagnosed, 1,749 (92%) were not in medical care at the time of CDC testing.

In particular, 83% of those tested in non–health care facilities were young men who have sex with men, who are a high-risk group for HIV infection but who only received 28% of tests. Since 92% of new infections in 2009 were acquired from HIV-positive people who were not in medical care, “improving the number of youths who are tested is of high importance,” according to Renee Stein, PhD, and her coinvestigators, all of the division of HIV/AIDS prevention and the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at the CDC.

“A health care provider’s testing recommendation is the most important predictor of testing among adolescents at risk for HIV infection,” the researchers said. “Increasing the number of HIV tests among youths at risk for HIV and increasing regular retesting among these youths is essential for reducing HIV infection in this vulnerable population.”

No conflicts of interest were reported by the authors.

Read more in MMWR (2017 Jun 23. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6624a2).

[email protected]

 

In 2015, only 66% of U.S. youth who were diagnosed with HIV in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program were introduced to proper care within 90 days of diagnosis, falling far short of the 2020 national goal to introduce 85% of HIV-affected youth to proper care within 30 days.

In an analysis of data from a CDC-funded program covering 61 state and local health departments and 123 community-based organizations in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the CDC looked at HIV tests, new positive diagnoses, and linkage between patient and care within 90 days of diagnosis. Of 2,973 youths who were newly diagnosed with HIV, 1,955 (66%) were connected to care within 90 days, and 1,871 were interviewed for partner services, according to the CDC. Of 1,911 youths who had been previously diagnosed, 1,749 (92%) were not in medical care at the time of CDC testing.

In particular, 83% of those tested in non–health care facilities were young men who have sex with men, who are a high-risk group for HIV infection but who only received 28% of tests. Since 92% of new infections in 2009 were acquired from HIV-positive people who were not in medical care, “improving the number of youths who are tested is of high importance,” according to Renee Stein, PhD, and her coinvestigators, all of the division of HIV/AIDS prevention and the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at the CDC.

“A health care provider’s testing recommendation is the most important predictor of testing among adolescents at risk for HIV infection,” the researchers said. “Increasing the number of HIV tests among youths at risk for HIV and increasing regular retesting among these youths is essential for reducing HIV infection in this vulnerable population.”

No conflicts of interest were reported by the authors.

Read more in MMWR (2017 Jun 23. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6624a2).

[email protected]

 

In 2015, only 66% of U.S. youth who were diagnosed with HIV in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program were introduced to proper care within 90 days of diagnosis, falling far short of the 2020 national goal to introduce 85% of HIV-affected youth to proper care within 30 days.

In an analysis of data from a CDC-funded program covering 61 state and local health departments and 123 community-based organizations in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the CDC looked at HIV tests, new positive diagnoses, and linkage between patient and care within 90 days of diagnosis. Of 2,973 youths who were newly diagnosed with HIV, 1,955 (66%) were connected to care within 90 days, and 1,871 were interviewed for partner services, according to the CDC. Of 1,911 youths who had been previously diagnosed, 1,749 (92%) were not in medical care at the time of CDC testing.

In particular, 83% of those tested in non–health care facilities were young men who have sex with men, who are a high-risk group for HIV infection but who only received 28% of tests. Since 92% of new infections in 2009 were acquired from HIV-positive people who were not in medical care, “improving the number of youths who are tested is of high importance,” according to Renee Stein, PhD, and her coinvestigators, all of the division of HIV/AIDS prevention and the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at the CDC.

“A health care provider’s testing recommendation is the most important predictor of testing among adolescents at risk for HIV infection,” the researchers said. “Increasing the number of HIV tests among youths at risk for HIV and increasing regular retesting among these youths is essential for reducing HIV infection in this vulnerable population.”

No conflicts of interest were reported by the authors.

Read more in MMWR (2017 Jun 23. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6624a2).

[email protected]