Just 30% of HIV-positive Americans have virus in check

Only one in three Americans living with HIV had their virus under control in 2011, and about two-thirds of those people had been diagnosed but were no longer receiving care, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC report highlights the importance of making sure people with HIV receive ongoing care, treatment and information to help prevent the spread of the virus. About 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with the disease, and there are 50,000 new infections annually, according to the CDC.

Among the roughly 840,000 people who did not have viral suppression of their HIV, the report found the following:

  • 66 percent were diagnosed but not engaged in regular HIV care
  • 20 percent were not yet diagnosed
  • 10 percent had an antiretroviral prescription but did not achieve viral suppression, or keeping HIV at very low levels in the body

"For people living with HIV, it's not just about knowing you're infected — it's about going to the doctor for medical care," said Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, the director of the CDC. "And for healthcare facilities, it's not just about the patients in your care — it's every person diagnosed and every person whose diagnosis has not yet been made. [The] key to controlling the nation's HIV epidemic is helping people with HIV get connected to — and stay in — care and treatment, to suppress the virus, live longer and help protect others."

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