CDC Study: Many Americans With HIV/AIDS Not Receiving Treatment.

A number of sources covered the release of a CDC report describing the status of HIV/AIDS treatment in the US.

The Washington Post (11/30, Brown) reports that just over "a quarter of Americans infected with the AIDS virus are getting the form of medical care that maximizes their life expectancy. ... Only 28 percent of the 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States have their 'viral load' controlled." The report also showed "significant differences by age, sex and ethnic group. For example, 76 percent of HIV-positive people ages 18 to 24 who are in medical care are prescribed antiretrovirals, compared with 92 percent of people 55 and older. Ninety-two percent of whites are prescribed the drugs, compared with 89 percent of Hispanics and 86 percent of blacks. Eighty-four percent of whites achieve full suppression of viral load in their bloodstreams, compared with 79 percent of Hispanics and 70 percent of blacks." In addition, 86% of women and 90% of men are prescribed antiretroviral therapy, and 71% of women and 79% of men "achieve viral suppression."

Bloomberg News (11/30, Lopatto) adds, "About 20 percent of those who have HIV haven't been tested and don't know they have the virus, the Atlanta-based CDC said today in a statement."

The Wall Street Journal (11/30, McKay, Subscription Publication) quotes CDC director Thomas Frieden as saying, "We know how to control HIV in individuals and increasingly we know how to control it in communities. ... We've made real progress but have a lot further to go."



CQ (11/30, Subscription Publication) reports, "Nearly three out of four Americans living with HIV do not have their infection under control, according to CDC's Vital Signs report (pdf), released in advance of World AIDS Day, Dec. 1." In addition, the report indicates that "only 51 percent of people who are infected with HIV are getting ongoing medical care and treatment. And only an estimated 28 percent have a suppressed viral load." A related fact sheet (pdf) is also available online.



HealthDay (11/30, Reinberg) reports, "Some 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV...federal health officials report. Efforts to diagnose, treat and reduce transmission of the virus need to be redoubled," the study found. "According to the CDC report, in 2010 only 9.6 percent of adult Americans had been tested for HIV during in the past 12 months. Testing varied by state, from 4.9 percent to 29.8 percent."



New Initiative Targeted Towards High-Risk Communities. USA Today (11/30, Manning) reports, "A new initiative to boost HIV testing rates aims to get more people into treatment earlier, especially in hard-hit communities of black gay and bisexual men, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday." The initiative includes "funding for state and local health departments" to use "for testing, prevention, policy implementation and development and condom distribution," and "a $2.4 million education and advertising campaign, Testing Makes Us Stronger, that is aimed directly at increasing HIV testing in black gay and bisexual communities."



The Boston Globe (11/30, Kotz) "Daily Dose" blog notes, "A recent study of heterosexual couples conducted by the National Institutes of Health showed that consistently taking antiretroviral therapy -- the drugs used to treat HIV -- in combination with safe-sex behaviors, can reduce the risk of spreading HIV by approximately 96 percent. But it can be tough to convince some HIV-positive patients to remain on chronic treatment regimens that frequently cause extreme fatigue, headaches, diarrhea, and sleep disruptions, and in rare cases, heart and liver problems."