New HIV infection rates are dropping big time in one of America's hardest hit cities by the virus
There's very encouraging news to share in the world of HIV. According to the annual HIV Epidemiology Annual Report, the city of San Francisco saw rates of new HIV infections plummet over 34% between 2013 and 2015.
What’s makes up the percentages?
Well, going by the data, this means that the city saw a reduction from 285 newly diagnosed cases in 2013 to just 99 this year.
The report suggests that nearly 93% of those who received a diagnosis knew they were infected.
The steep decline in HIV infection rates has been credited, in part, to the success of PREP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). Since first approved as a prevention tool in 2012, many healthcare professionals and community groups have been advocating use of PREP for HIV negative persons who are at risk for exposure.
This includes men who have sex with men (MSM) and individuals who may be involved with unprotected anal intercourse with multiple partners.
“The overall picture is very good, with San Francisco heading toward zero on every HIV measure,’ Barbara Garcia, director of health at San Francisco Department of Public Health, said.
But it's not time to break out the champagne just yet.
That's because even though progress on HIV prevention is heading in the right direction, there continues to be communities that have yet to realize meaningful declines.
Related: Near 0 chance of HIV transmission for people on meds
Specifically, we’re talking about African American men and Latino men; two groups that currently see the highest rates of infection.
Sadly, African American men are less likely to survive HIV disease. There are a number of reasons for this, including strong stigmas associated with the virus, economic challenges and access to health care.
A major take-away from the report is that people over 50 accounted for over half of the new infections.
Says Garcia with SFPH:
“The data also shows significant disparities, affirming our focus on efforts for groups who are not experiencing as much progress.
Without improvements for these populations, we as a city will not reach zero.”
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By: Conrad Braxton
h/t New Next Now and Gay Star News
