New U.S. HIV Diagnoses Fall Through 2010-2015 Except in 25-to-29 Age Group, Asians and Native Americans

HIV incidence (the new-diagnosis rate) fell across the United States from 2010 through 2015, according to the latest HIV Surveillance Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over that span new HIV diagnoses rose among 25- to 29-year-olds while remaining stable in men who have sex with men (MSM) and falling in blacks.

Overall, the report shows that new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 population fell from 14.2 in 2010 to 13.5 in 2011, 13.1 in 2012, 12.5 in 2013, 12.6 in 2014 and 12.3 in 2015. Among age groups, over the same years, HIV incidence rose only in 25- to 29-year-olds (from 30.0 to 33.4 per 100,000), while remaining stable in 20- to 24-year-olds (31.2 per 100,000 in 2015) and falling in all other groups. The number of perinatal infections dipped from 188 in 2010 to 86 in 2015.

New diagnoses fell among both male and female adults and adolescents from 2010 through 2015. Males accounted for 81% of all HIV diagnoses with a 2015 rate of 24.4 per 100,000 versus 5.4 per 100,000 in females. Among male adults and adolescents, new infections attributed to injecting drugs or sex with women decreased, while new infections attributed to sex between men stayed flat (26,338 in 2010 and 26,376 in 2015). In 2015 HIV infections attributed to sex between men and injecting drugs made up 70% of new diagnoses, while 24% of new infections could be traced to sex between men and women.

Over the study period, HIV incidence dropped among blacks, Hispanics, Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders and whites while climbing among Asians and American Indians/Alaska Natives. But in 2015, blacks had by far the highest HIV incidence (44.3 per 100,000), followed by Hispanics (16.4), Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (14.1), multiracial people (12.2), American Indians/Alaska Natives (8.8), Asians (5.5) and whites (5.3). The rate among blacks dropped from 53.8 per 100,000 in 2010 and among Hispanics from 18.1 per 100,000 in 2010.

HIV incidence in 2015 was highest in the South (16.8 per 100,000), followed by the Northeast (11.6), the West (9.8) and the Midwest (7.6). In all four regions new HIV diagnoses fell over the study period.

The number of deaths in people diagnosed with HIV dropped from 17,099 (5.5 per 100,000) in 2010 to 15,119 (4.7 per 100,000) in 2014. The HIV death rate fell in every age group analyzed except 60- to 64-year olds (in whom it rose from 9.9 to 11.0 per 100,000) and the 65-or-older group (4.2 to 4.9 per 100,000). In 2014 the HIV death rate was highest in blacks (17.4 per 100,000, down from 21.8 in 2010), followed by Hispanics (4.6 per 100,000, down from 5.3 in 2010). Numbers of deaths in men infected during sex with men waned from 6,562 in 2010 to 6,110 in 2014. Respective numbers in male drug injectors were 2,938 and 2,326 and in female drug injectors were 1,622 and 1,384.