Despite lowering before 2019, HIV infections are on the rise again.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came forward with information stating that HIV-related death rates were dropping. The CDC analyzed data covering HIV-related deaths of people aged 13 and up between 2010 and 2018. The results found that the numbers were on the decline. Though, Black/African-Americans and American Southerners were most affected at the time.
But now, it appears that 2019 has seen an increase in new HIV infections. As UNAIDS reports, men who have sex with other men, people who inject drugs, sex workers, transgender people, and prisoners make up 62% of all new HIV infections worldwide within 2019. And, they make up the largest share of new infections in every region other than eastern and southern Africa.
While UNAIDS agrees that HIV infections were on the decline up to that point, citing a 23% decrease between 2010 to 2019, the health source states that 2019 was different.
It should also be noted that there seems to be a gap in the infection rate between women and men. While Female sex workers and transgender women are a portion of that earlier mentioned 62%, the rate at which they are getting infection hasn’t changed much. They experienced a lower rate of HIV infection than their male peers. Meanwhile, gay men and men who have sex with other men saw HIV infections increase by an estimated 25% between 2010 and 2019.
Though, we are still unsure how 2020 will fare when it comes to HIV. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate at which people are having sex or interacting with each other fluctuates. Right now, UNAIDS suspects that the 1.7 million new infections in 2019 will be three times higher than the global target of less than 500,000 new infections in 2020.
Source: UNAIDS,
