HIV Testing Plummeted Throughout Pandemic

MONDAY, June 27, 2022 (HealthDay Information) — Testing for HIV suffered a pointy setback throughout the first yr of the pandemic, new authorities knowledge reveals.

The variety of HIV assessments funded by the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention and administered in well being care settings dropped 43% between 2019 and 2020, the research confirmed. Assessments administered in non-health care settings dropped 50% that very same yr.

The drop affected teams disproportionately affected by HIV, the CDC mentioned, which highlights an pressing have to scale up testing and scale back disparities amongst those that may most profit from HIV care.

“We welcomed 2020 with optimism. New HIV infections have been declining, and a focus to HIV was growing. However simply as COVID-19 disrupted our lives, it modified the course of HIV prevention,” mentioned Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC’s Nationwide Heart for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention.

“Now we’re at a crossroads,” he mentioned in a CDC information launch. “Will we settle for the large reductions in HIV testing, or will we bounce again stronger?”

In non-health care settings, testing declined 49% amongst homosexual and bisexual males, 47% amongst transgender folks, 46% amongst Hispanic and Latino folks and 44% amongst Black folks.

Calling HIV testing the bridge to extremely efficient remedy and prevention, the CDC mentioned delayed diagnoses can result in unfavorable well being penalties and elevated HIV transmission.

The CDC recommends that everybody ages 13 to 64 must be examined for HIV no less than as soon as and that some must be examined no less than yearly.

These findings add to different regarding findings that confirmed a steep discount in HIV diagnoses and a slowing of pre-exposure prophylaxis prescriptions (PrEP) from 2019 to 2020.

“Everybody ought to get pleasure from good well being — and getting an HIV check is a part of a profitable plan to take action. Some folks might not get examined for a lot of causes, reminiscent of issues about HIV stigma, homophobia, transphobia and a number of different -isms and phobias. Or they might not know that an HIV check may gain advantage them,” mentioned Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention.

“We should proceed working collectively to beat these and different elements that stand in the way in which of equitable HIV prevention and care,” Daskalakis mentioned within the launch.

The CDC inspired state, native, well being care and community-based partnerships to extend entry to testing companies, with methods reminiscent of self-testing and routine opt-out screening in well being care settings.

Nationwide HIV Testing Day is June 27. Discover quick, free and confidential HIV testing on the CDC’s Get Examined or by calling 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636). HIV self-tests could also be bought at a pharmacy or on-line. Test to see in case your native well being division or one other group is offering a speedy self-test for a diminished price or free of charge.

Extra data

Study extra about HIV at HIV.gov.