Incidence of New HIV Infections Remains Steady Overall

A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the estimated number of new HIV infections has remained stable in recent years.  There were approximately 47,500 people in the U.S. diagnosed with HIV in both 2008 and 2010.  The rate of new infections in 2010 was 18.8 per 100,000 people.

Other findings include:

• The number of new HIV infections remained relatively stable across all age groups, and the highest number of new infections was among people ages 25-34;
• The black/ African American population remains disproportionately affected by HIV.  In 2010, that population accounted for 44% of new HIV infections, followed by whites (31%) and Hispanics/Latinos (21%);
• The number of new infections decreased among females, and the number of new infections among males continues to be much higher than among females (4.2 times higher); and
• Gay men continue to have the highest HIV infection rates; 63% of new HIV infections overall, and 78% of new infections among men, were attributed to male-to-male sexual contact.