Nearly three out of four Americans living with HIV do not have their infection under control, according to a Vital Signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released earlier this week in advance of World AIDS Day, December 1. The authors say the low percentage is because 1 in 5 people with HIV do not realize they are infected and, of those who are aware, only 51 percent receive ongoing medical care and treatment.
Of the nearly 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States, only an estimated 28 percent have a suppressed viral load (defined as viral load less than 200 copies of the blood-borne virus per milliliter of blood) – meaning that the virus is under control and at a level that helps keep them healthy and reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to others.
Blacks are among the demographic hardest hit by the virus----- and the vast majority are unaware of their status.
Florida is home to the 3rd largest population of those infected with HIV in the nation. One in every 205 white men, one in every 113 Latino men, and one in every 42 African American men is living with the AIDS virus in our state. Nationally, AIDS is the leading cause of death among young African American women.
So on this World AIDS day, a day for people worldwide to unite and fight HIV, support those living with the virus and remember those who have died. We hope you will use today to help fight this terrible disease in whatever way you can.Florida is home to the 3rd largest population of those infected with HIV in the nation. One in every 205 white men, one in every 113 Latino men, and one in every 42 African American men is living with the AIDS virus in our state. Nationally, AIDS is the leading cause of death among young African American women.