HIV is one of the world’s leading health issues, and it is important for every sexually active individual to take matters into their hands and get tested. As more HIV testing was conducted throughout the world, more cases have been reported in an increasing trend. This makes it an urgent situation to keep the infection from breaking out at large. The infection can lead to various life-threatening complications without treatment. So it is recommended to get tested for HIV at least once.
Since the first case of HIV was reported in 1981, more than 79.3 million people have acquired HIV, with about 36.3 million people who died from the infection. This highly-dreaded sexual infection has become a global challenge as more cases explode with increased HIV testing. Living with the infection can greatly degrade the quality of living and crush your sexual confidence. Prolonged HIV can weaken the immune system and cause various types of complications, and progress into AIDS. As the immune system weakens, the body becomes more susceptible to infections and reaches the point where it cannot fight off illnesses anymore, thus eventually leading to premature death.
As of 2020, the number of HIV cases stands at 37.7 million cases. This accounts for 0.7% of the adult population between 15 and 49 years. Out of the active cases, people above the age of 14 years account for 36 million, while children below 14 years reported 1.7 million cases. The year also recorded 1.5 million fresh HIV cases, out of which people above the age of 14 reported 1.3 million cases while 160,000 cases were reported in children below the age of 14. There are more HIV cases reported in females at 53%. The same year also reported 680,000 HIV-related deaths reported.
While HIV can affect any sexually active person, it is important to note that HIV can affect people in varying degrees depending on regions and countries. The WHO African region reported 3.6% cases of HIV and accounts for over two-thirds of the total HIV cases worldwide. The prevalence rate stands at 1 case per 25 people living in Africa. But no matter where you live or how sexually active you are, it is advisable to get tested for HIV at least once in your life to prevent drastic changes in health. Now that online STD sites have become accessible to the public, it has become quite easy to book an HIV test to get tested discreetly.
The high HIV cases are raising a sense of national urgency to bring the infection under control. About 1,189,700 people were infected with HIV in the US in 2019, but only about 87% of these people know their status. The rest are not aware that they are infected and have a high potential to spread the infection to other people. The CDC also reported 37,968 new HIV infections in the nation. In the US, an estimated number of 15,815 HIV-diagnosed people died from either HIV or other causes. If you want to know your HIV status, you can do so by getting tested. With online STD testing sites, you can just order the test at home and get tested at a partner lab close by. It is one of the best ways to get tested discreetly and conveniently.
Age plays a major determinant in the prevalence of infection in the nation. The highest affected group of people are those between 25 and 29 years old with a total of 7,768 cases, followed by 20-24 age group people with 6,152 cases. People between the ages of 13 and 24 have the most HIV cases reported. They have reported 7,648 cases which are 21% of the population between the said age group. However, among these cases, 6,385 cases come from gay and bisexual males. Gay men of African descent account for about 50% of the reported cases in gay and bisexual men in the US, with 3,209 cases.
The group of people that are most affected by HIV in the US is gay people who have sex with men. These people account for 65% of the total national HIV cases. There are only about 2% of the gay population in the US. However, it is alarming to know that they account for nearly 70% of the total number of new HIV infections and 65% of the active HIV cases. The risk is equal for those men who don’t identify as gay but had sex with other men recently.
The infection also affects people from various races and ethnicities. The worst affected population are the Black/African American people, with 15,340 new cases, accounting for 42% of the total national HIV cases. This is followed by Hispanic/Latino people with 10,502 new cases, which is 29% of the total national HIV cases. Even among these populations, the majority of the cases are reported in gay and bisexual men.
According to the CDC, some states in the US account for higher rates of HIV infection than other states. The state with the highest HIV incidence rate goes to Washington DC with 46.3 cases per 100,000 people. The trend is followed by Georgia and Florida at 24.9 cases and 22.9 cases per 100,000 people, respectively. This calls for urgent HIV tests to learn your status.
If you belong to one of the high-risk groups, it is imperative that you are tested for HIV. HIV testing is done by collecting a blood sample or a throat swab. While the infection is lifelong and has no cure, you can still get effective HIV treatment and live a long and healthy life. Getting treated at an early phase improves more effective treatment and recovery. No one can conclude they have an HIV infection without getting tested for it. So, instead of waiting for the symptoms to urge you to get tested, take the responsibility in your hand and get tested for a content sexual life.