Epidemiology of HIV in the United States

BACKGROUND: The United States has a comprehensive system of HIV surveillance, including case reporting and disease staging, estimates of incidence, behavioral, and clinical indicators and monitoring of HIV-related mortality. These data are used to monitor the epidemic and to better design, implement, and evaluate public health programs. METHODS: We describe HIV-related surveillance systems and review recent data. RESULTS: There are more than 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United States, and approximately 56,000 new HIV infections annually. Risk behavior data show that 47% of men who have sex with men engaged in unprotected anal intercourse in the past year, and 33% of injection drug users had shared syringes. One third (32%) of people diagnosed with HIV in 2008 were diagnosed with AIDS within 12 months, indicating missed opportunities for care and prevention. An estimated 72% of HIV-diagnosed persons received HIV medical care within 4 months of initial diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Conducting accurate and comprehensive HIV surveillance is critical for measuring progress toward the goals of the 2010 National HIV/AIDS Strategy: reduced HIV incidence, increased access to care, and improvements in health equity.