Health A-Z

1 in 5 Gay/Bi Men Have HIV, Nearly Half Don't Know

Sept. 23, 2010 - One in five gay/bisexual men in the 21 U.S. cities hardest hit by AIDS have HIV infections -- and nearly half don't know it, a CDC survey finds.

Black gay/bi men and under-30 gay/bi adults are least likely to know of their HIV infections.

The findings show that HIV infection rates remain strikingly high among gay and bisexual men, says Kevin Fenton, MD, PhD, director of the CDC's center for HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STD, and TB prevention.

"The number of new HIV infections each year is increasing among men who have sex with men [MSM], while remaining stable or decreasing in other groups," Fenton said in a statement. "Currently, MSM account for nearly half of the more than 1 million people living with HIV in the United States."

To get these numbers, CDC teams visited bars, dance clubs, and other venues frequented by gay and bisexual men in the 21 cities with the highest number of AIDS cases. They interviewed 8,153 self-identified gay and bisexual men who agreed to undergo HIV testing.