Majority of HIV/AIDS Cases Involve Homosexual Men

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Majority of HIV/AIDS Cases Involve Homosexual Men

Special Report - April 1, 2008
Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to account for the largest proportion of HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a report issued on March 28, the CDC says that a total of 35,314 adults, adolescents and children were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 2006. Men accounted for the majority HIV/AIDS diagnoses (76 percent men, vs. 26 percent women). Among all adults and adolescents diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 2006, male-to-male sexual activity (combined with MSM who inject drugs) accounted for 53 percent of transmissions, followed by 33 percent for high-risk heterosexual contact (defined as “heterosexual contact with a person known to have, or be at risk for, HIV infection”). Among men, male-to-male sexual contact accounted for 67 percent of the 2006 HIV/AIDs diagnoses, while 16 percent was attributed to high-risk heterosexual activity. Among women, the most common transmission category in 2006 was high-risk heterosexual contact (80 percent), followed by injection drug use (19 percent).

Although the CDC reports that the number of new HIV cases has remained stable over the past several years, HIV prevalence (defined as “the number of persons living with HIV/AIDS”) has increased steadily, from 360,617 in 2002 to 448,871 in 2006. In addition, the estimated number of HIV/AIDS cases increased among MSM, from 15,409 in 2003 to 17,465 in 2006, according to the CDC report.