HIV Testing Plummeted During Pandemic

By Cara Murez Well beingDay Reporter
Well beingDay Reporter

MONDAY, June 27, 2022 (Well beingDay News) — Testing for HIV suffered a pointy setback through the first 12 months of the pandemic, new authorities knowledge exhibits.

The variety of HIV exams funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administered in well being care settings dropped 43% between 2019 and 2020, the research confirmed. Tests administered in non-health care settings dropped 50% that very same 12 months.

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

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

“Now we are at a crossroads,” he said in a CDC news release. “Will we accept the massive reductions in HIV testing, or will we bounce back stronger?”

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

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

The CDC recommends that everybody ages 13 to 64 ought to be examined for HIV a minimum of as soon as and that some ought to be examined a minimum of 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.

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

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

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

National HIV Testing Day is June 27. Find quick, free and confidential HIV testing on the CDC’s Get Tested or by calling 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636). HIV self-tests could also be bought at a pharmacy or on-line. Check to see in case your native well being division or one other group is offering a speedy self-test for a decreased price or without spending a dime.

More info

Learn extra about HIV at HIV.gov.

SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, information launch, June 23, 2022