Medical expert of the article
New publications
Forewarned means saved! 28% of HIV-positive Americans are in control of their disease
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
About 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV, but only 28% of them have their disease under control, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Efforts to detect, treat and reduce transmission of the virus must be redoubled, says a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on the eve of World AIDS Day (December 1).
"We have all the tools we need to stop the spread of HIV," said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden.
"People who start HIV treatment early, when their immune systems are still relatively strong, are 96% less likely to infect their partners, which shows that treatment is vital in preventing the spread of infection," he said.
"We still have a long way to go to see the full benefits of antiretroviral therapy. Approximately 850,000 HIV-infected Americans do not have their disease under control," Frieden said.
"The first step is to identify people with HIV through testing. The second is to make sure that every person with HIV has access to all health care services once diagnosed," he added.
The CDC recommends that HIV testing be part of routine screenings, and that high-risk groups be tested at least once a year. In 2010, only 9.6 percent of American adults were tested for HIV, according to the CDC.
Of the 900,000 people living with HIV who know they are infected, 89% are receiving antiretroviral therapy.
Dr Margaret Fischl, director of the Clinical Division of AIDS Research, said: "We must continue to insist that people understand the importance of HIV testing. Every young and sexually active person should be tested for HIV."