JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health (Department) recognizes June 27 as National HIV Testing Day.
According to the CDC, 1 in 99 Americans will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. This is an improvement from a previous analysis using 2004-2005 data that reported overall risk at 1 in 78.
Recommended Videos
In this article, we will discuss status, risk, screening, PrEP for HIV Prevention and more.
In 2019, it was recommended by HIV.gov that clinicians screen for HIV in everyone ages 15 to 65 years and all pregnant people. Younger adolescents and older adults at increased risk for HIV should also be screened. The Task Force also recommends that clinicians offer pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)—a pill that helps prevent HIV—to people at high risk of HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all individuals 13–64 years old be tested for HIV at least once during their lifetime, and persons at increased risk for HIV infection be tested at least annually.
HIV is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. HIV is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person infected with HIV, most commonly during sex without a condom or through injection drug use.
HIV continues to be a significant public health issue; about 40,000 people are diagnosed with HIV each year. While HIV infection rates have been going down, rates among some groups are on the rise, most notably among young adults.
Florida was listed among the states that have the “highest” lifetime risk of HIV diagnosis -- with 1 in 54 people diagnosed.
In Jacksonville, community members can receive free and low-cost testing at Planned Parenthood, the Florida Department of Health, JASMYN, CAN Community Health, and other clinics in our area.
The Department of Health in Marion County will also host free events for HIV/AIDS education and outreach on Monday. That includes distributing free HIV tests so people can learn their status at home. The event is scheduled for 1–7 p.m. at Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Rd. (State Road 200) in Ocala. DOH-Marion staff also will be at the Walgreens, 807 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Florida remains a national leader in HIV testing, with over 1,400 registered HIV test sites.
Here are some statistics:
- Gay and bisexual men continue to be most affected by the HIV epidemic in the U.S. At current rates, 1 in 6 MSM will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, including 1 in 2 black MSM, 1 in 4 Latino MSM, and 1 in 11 white MSM.
- African Americans are by far the most affected racial or ethnic group with a lifetime HIV risk of 1 in 20 for men (compared to 1 in 132 for whites) and 1 in 48 for women (compared to 1 in 880 for whites).
- People who inject drugs are at much higher lifetime risk than the general population, and women who inject drugs have a higher risk than men (1 in 23 compared with 1 in 36).
- People living in the South are more likely to be diagnosed with HIV over the course of their lifetime than other Americans, with the highest risk in Washington, DC (1 in 13), Maryland (1 in 49), Georgia (1 in 51), Florida (1 in 54), and Louisiana (1 in 56).
Young adults continued to be the group at the highest risk, according to CDC data from 2017.
An ethnicity breakdown showed that African American men had the highest risk of contracting HIV.
Screening for HIV
Screening is the only way to know if a person has been infected with HIV because, after initial flu-like symptoms, HIV does not cause any signs or symptoms for several years, HIV.gov reported. The Task Force recommends HIV screening for everyone between the ages of 15 and 65 and for anyone who is pregnant. People younger than 15 and older than 65 who are at increased risk for HIV should also be screened. Behaviors that increase someone’s risk include having a new sex partner whose HIV status is unknown.
PrEP for HIV Prevention
In addition to screening, people need to take steps to prevent getting HIV by using condoms during sex and, for those who inject drugs, using clean needles and syringes. People at high risk for HIV have an additional strategy for prevention: taking PrEP. The Task Force found that PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV, if taken daily. Taking PrEP less often lowers its effectiveness. Like with many medicines, there are benefits and harms of use. For people at high risk of getting HIV, the benefits of PrEP far outweigh the harms, which can include kidney problems and nausea.
PrEP is not for everyone; it is for people who do not have HIV but are at high risk for getting it. Behaviors that can put someone at high risk include having a sex partner who is living with HIV, having sex without a condom with a partner whose HIV status is unknown and who is at high risk for HIV, and sharing injection drug equipment.
Click here to read more. Click here for more facts about HIV.
