In US Cities, 1 in 5 Gay, Bisexual Men Have HIV

The CDC called for renewed HIV protection measures today, an effort timed to coincide with the release of a study that found nearly 1 in 5 gay or bisexual men living in major US cities have HIV—and that nearly half of those infected aren’t aware of it. “We need to reinvigorate our response,” the CDC’s HIV director told Reuters. “We can’t allow HIV to continue its devastating toll among gay and bisexual men, and in particular, among young black men.”

The study found that HIV was an especially troubling problem for black men; 28% of black participants in the study were infected, compared with 18% of Hispanics and 16% of whites. Black men were also the least likely to be aware of their infection—a whopping 59% said they had no idea. Age was also a critical factor—among 18-to-29-year-olds, 63% were unaware of their infection. (More HIV stories.)