CDC: 22% Increase in HIV Among Young Gay Men

Young gay and bisexual men account for two-thirds of new HIV infections across the U.S.

The number of new HIV infections for young gay and bisexual men has increased by 22% between 2008 and 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.

Overall, the number of new infections across the U.S. has not changed at about 47,500 infections, according to Reuters. Gay and bisexual men account for 66% of those new infections, and African American men in this group account for more new infections than any other subgroup.

Joseph Prejean, chief of the Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance Branch for the CDC said the rising number of infections for gay and bisexual youth may be the perception that HIV is a highly manageable disease.
"We do realize that many men who have sex with men do probably underestimate their personal risk and believe that treatment advances minimize the health threat," he said.

CDC Director Thomas Frieden added that the average cost of treating HIV over a person's lifetime costs an estimated $400,000.-ADVOCATE