Posted on 10/21/2013 12:52:01 PM PDT by longtermmemmory
Fast Facts
Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (referred to here as MSM) are more severely affected by HIV than any other group in the United States.
Among all MSM, black/African American MSM bear the greatest disproportionate burden of HIV.
From 2008 to 2010, HIV infections among young black/African American MSM increased 20%.
Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM))a represent approximately 2% of the United States population, yet are the population most severely affected by HIV. In 2010, young MSM (aged 13-24 years) accounted for 72% of new HIV infections among all persons aged 13 to 24, and 30% of new infections among all MSM. At the end of 2010, an estimated 489,121 (56%) persons living with an HIV diagnosis in the United States were MSM or MSM-IDU.
The Numbers
New HIV Infections
•In 2010, MSM accounted for 63% of estimated new HIV infections in the United States and 78% of infections among all newly infected men. From 2008 to 2010, new HIV infections increased 22% among young (aged 13-24) MSM and 12% among MSM overall.
•Among all MSM, white MSM accounted for 11,400 (38%) estimated new HIV infections in 2010. The largest number of new infections among white MSM (3,300; 29%) occurred in those aged 25 to 34.
•Among all MSM, black/African American MSM accounted for 10,600 (36%) estimated new HIV infections in 2010. The largest number of new infections among black/African American MSM (4,800; 45%) occurred in those aged 13 to 24. From 2008 to 2010 new infections increased 20% among young black/African American MSM aged 13 to 24.
•Among all MSM, Hispanic/Latino MSM accounted for 6,700 (22%) estimated new HIV infections in 2010. The largest number of new infections among Hispanic/Latino MSM (3,300; 39%) occurred in those aged 25 to 34. HIV and AIDS Diagnosesc and Deaths
•In 2011, in the United States, MSM accounted for 79% of 38,825 estimated HIV diagnoses among all males aged 13 years and older and 62% of 49,273 estimated diagnoses among all persons receiving an HIV diagnosis that year.
•At the end of 2010, of the estimated 872,990 persons living with an HIV diagnosis, 440,408 (50%) were MSM. Forty-seven percent of MSM living with an HIV diagnosis were white, 31% were black/African American, and 19% were Hispanic/Latino.
•In 2011, MSM accounted for 52% of estimated AIDS diagnoses among all adults and adolescents in the United States. Of the estimated 16,694 AIDS diagnoses among MSM, 39% were in blacks/African Americans; 34% were in whites; and 23% were in Hispanics/Latinos.
•By the end of 2010, an estimated 302,148 MSM with an AIDS diagnosis had died in the United States since the beginning of the epidemic, representing 48% of all deaths of persons with an AIDS diagnosis.
Prevention Challenges
The large number of MSM living with HIV means that, as a group, gay, bisexual, and other MSM have an increased chance of being exposed to HIV. Results of HIV testing conducted in 20 cities as part of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System indicated that 18% of MSM tested in 2011 were HIV-positive and that HIV prevalence increased with increasing age.
In this study, the overall percent of gay and bisexual men with HIV who knew of their HIV infection increased from 56% in 2008 to 66% in 2011. Among those infected, 49% of young MSM aged 18 to 24 years knew of their infection, whereas 76% of those aged 40 and over were aware of their HIV infection. Fifty- four percent of black/African American MSM knew of their infection, compared with 63% of Hispanic/Latino MSM and 86% of white MSM. Persons who don’t know they have HIV don’t get medical care and can unknowingly infect others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all MSM get tested for HIV at least once a year. Sexually active MSM might benefit from more frequent testing (e.g., every 3 to 6 months).
Sexual risk behaviors account for most HIV infections in MSM. Anal sex without a condom (unprotected anal sex) has the highest risk for passing HIV during sex. It is also possible to become infected with HIV through oral sex, though the risk is significantly less than for anal or vaginal sex. For sexually active MSM, the most effective ways to prevent HIV are to limit or avoid anal sex, or for MSM who do have anal sex, to correctly use a condom every time. Gay men are at increased risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), like syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, and CDC recommends that all sexually active MSM be tested annually for these infections.
Alcohol and illegal drug use increases risk for HIV and other STIs. Using substances such as alcohol and methamphetamines can impair judgment and increase risky sexual behavior.
Homophobia, stigma, and discrimination may place gay men at risk for multiple physical and mental health problems and affect whether they seek and are able to obtain high-quality health services.
What CDC Is Doing
Guided by the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States, CDC and its partners are pursuing a high-impact prevention approach to reducing new HIV infections by using combinations of scientifically proven, cost-effective, and scalable interventions directed to the most vulnerable populations in the geographic areas where HIV prevalence is highest.
As part of high-impact prevention, CDC is aligning surveillance and program activities more closely. For example, while linkage to care soon after HIV diagnosis is relatively high, more people living with HIV should receive continuous care and antiretroviral treatment, and a greater proportion of persons infected with HIV should have a suppressed HIV viral load—the most important goal for maximizing a person’s health as well as reducing the risk of transmission. By increasing the reporting of CD4 and viral load data across the country, CDC will aid health departments and clinicians in monitoring treatment progress toward viral load suppression. Currently, CDC estimates that only 25% of the 1.1 million individuals with HIV have their viral loads adequately suppressed.
CDC is also encouraging MSM and their healthcare providers to take advantage of biomedical approaches to HIV prevention. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which involves taking antiretroviral medications prior to becoming exposed to HIV, can reduce the risk of HIV infection in individuals at very high risk of infection. Post-exposure prophylaxis, which involves taking antiretrovial medications soon after possible exposure to HIV, also plays a role in HIV prevention, but should be not be considered a primary means of HIV prevention. Also, while HIV treatments can dramatically improve the health of HIV-positive persons who are treated, they also have prevention benefits: individuals whose HIV viral loads are suppressed have a greatly reduced chance of transmitting the virus to their partners (Treatment as Prevention).
CDC continues to focus on HIV testing. To expand HIV prevention services for young gay and bisexual men of color, transgender youth of color, and their partners, CDC awarded $55 million over 5 years to 34 community-based organizations with strong links to these populations. This funding will be used to provide HIV testing to more than 90,000 young gay and bisexual men and transgender youth of color, with a goal of identifying more than 3,500 previously unrecognized HIV infections and linking those who are HIV-infected to care and prevention services. Additionally, CDC’s MSM Testing Initiative seeks to identify at least 3,000 MSM with HIV who were previously unaware of their infection and link at least 85% to care.
Through its Act Against AIDS campaigns and other collaborative activities, CDC aims to provide MSM with effective and culturally appropriate messages about HIV prevention. The REASONS/RAZONES testing campaign features Latino gay and bisexual men sharing their reasons for getting an HIV test, while Testing Makes Us Stronger campaign encourages black gay and bisexual men to get tested for HIV. Let’s Stop HIV Together focuses on raising awareness of HIV and AIDS and simultaneously combatting complacency and stigma by increasing support for people living with the disease.
CDC also funds state and local health departments and community-based organizations to support HIV prevention services for MSM. Through the Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) project, CDC supports various behavioral interventions and other high-impact prevention strategies.
Read more about CDC activities to reduce HIV risk and improve the health of MSM.
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For more background information view the bibliography and other references used in this factsheet.
a The term men who have sex with men (MSM) is used in CDC surveillance systems. It indicates the behaviors that transmit HIV infection, rather than how individuals self-identify in terms of their sexuality.
b New HIV infections refer to HIV incidence, or the estimated number of people who are newly infected with HIV each year.
c HIV and AIDS diagnoses are the number of persons diagnosed with HIV infection and the number of persons diagnosed with AIDS, respectively, during a given time period. The terms do not indicate when the persons were infected.
Gay, Bi, and Others = HOMOSEXUALS
Never realized there were truly legitimate sub categories of homosexual (and you can't convince me there are)
To sum up:
In the US, nearly 80% of all new HIV cases in men is due to homosexual sex.
Its a homosexual disease.
Think of it as an opportunity for new acronyms. MSG is now Men who have Sex with Goats. "No MSG, please!" takes on a whole new cachet.
And as long as we’re at it, men who have sex with small marsupials on a trapeze while wearing a purple tutu are MSMTWPT. At last, my lovelife has its own entitlement group!
Both are fudging...facts and whatnot.
I’ve found that confused can be a warm and fuzzy place. As opposed to prison, which I’m sure is not.
the new MSM step, recruiting minors.
(see Boston GLSEN tapes)
I think it’s called “bi-curious”.
I remember this one from back in the day:
AIDS = Anally Inflicted Death Sentence
OMG! That’s for men having sex with “OTHER MEN’S GOATS!”
You are correct!! AIDS is at least 90% gay to gay transmitted. Some women get it from gays or bisexuals
And like you and common sense says--- In any encounter between a man and a woman the man is much better at giving HIV/AIDS to a woman
LOL
I’ve got to confess to being MSMTWPT-curious.
I don’t know if it’s the tutu or the trapeze!
Good point about the prison rape. Also, “hustlers” (male prostitutes) do not necessarily consider themselves to be homosexual.
From the other end of the spectrum, there are likely many (or at least some) men who have homosexual leanings; but are in a monogamous relationship with a woman.
All scientific research (including medical research) requires very precise operating definitions. In this instance, it’s the actual behaviour that matters; so “MSM” is much better than “identify as gay or bi-sexual”.
So does LSM still stand for Lame Stream Media? Or does that mean Lesbians Who Have Sex With Men?
The virus must be racist since the outcomes prove it must be discriminating against blacks. This virus redistribution plan will help provide appropriate reparations for disadvantaged populations.
"men who have sex with men (MSM))a represent approximately 2% of the United States population..... In 2010, young MSM (aged 13-24 years) accounted for 72% of new HIV infections among all persons aged 13 to 24"
Take 10,000 people, half of whom are men (5,000), of whom 2% sodomize (100 of them.)
To make the math easy, lets say "only" 7 (~72% of ten cases) sodomites contract HIV in a given year. That leaves 3 heterosexuals (~28% of ten cases) who will contract HIV. The ten cases is a supposition that becomes irrelevant in the final statistic, so bear with me.
So in this math, 7 out of 100 or 7.00% of sodomites get HIV, but 3 out of 9,900 heterosexuals get HIV, or 0.03%.
That means sodomites contract HIV at rate 23,100% higher (7.00% / 0.03%) than the heterosexual population.
That's TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE TIMES MORE LIKELY! Leaving the heroin addict with a shared hypodermic needle as the rare case to the contrary among the straight population.
I thought “MSM” was Main Stream Media, not Men Sodomizing Men.
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