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CDC: 1 in 2 black gay men will be diagnosed with HIV

Mary Bowerman
USA TODAY Network
A young man named Adam, 28, comes to the Health Village, where free HIV/STI testing, doctor chats, health screenings and safe sex gift bags are available, during the Paragon III: Everlasting Fame World Aids Day Ball at the University of Chicago in Chicago, IL Friday, December 6, 2013.

New research shows that one in two black gay men will be diagnosed with HIV during their lifetime, according to a study presented Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While the overall lifetime risk of contracting HIV has dropped to one in 99, from a 2005 projection of one in 78; gay black men continue to be be the most at-risk population, according to the report.

And they aren't alone. Gay Hispanics, bisexuals and people living in some regions of the country will continue to face higher rates of HIV diagnosis over the course of their lifetimes, the CDC said.

One in four gay Hispanic men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, compared to one in 11 white gay males.

According to the report, black people in the U.S. will continue to be the most at risk racial or ethnic group in the country, with one in 20 men and one in 48 women facing an HIV diagnosis within their lifetime.

The sobering numbers are proof of the need to increase prevention and care strategies for at-risk groups, Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, said in a statement.

“As alarming as these lifetime risk estimates are, they are not a foregone conclusion. They are a call to action,” Mermin said in the statement.

A daily pill can prevent HIV infection, but few take it

HIV is a virus spread through body fluids, and affects specific cells of the immune system. HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body can't fight infections, which can result in AIDS.

Researchers used diagnoses and death rates over a four-year period to determine the likelihood of an HIV diagnosis in the U.S.

Other findings:

  • People living in the South are more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than other regions. People living in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana have among the highest risk of HIV diagnosis. 
  • People who use needles to inject drugs have a higher risk of HIV diagnosis over the course of a lifetime. Though women who inject have a higher risk of HIV contraction than men, according to the CDC.

Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter. 

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