HIV Infection Rate Down In NYC

The New York City Health Department has announced that new diagnoses of HIV infection in NYC have reached an all-time low of 2,157 in 2017 which is a 5.4% decrease from 2016. Kelsey Louie, CEO of Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) stated, “Another year of record low new HIV infections in New York City is reason to be optimistic about where we’re headed in this epidemic. The fact that new infections among women a group that saw a slight uptick in new infections in 2016 fell by nearly 12% is a testament to the power of following the data & being smart about prevention targeting and outreach. But while there is a lot to celebrate, we must also remember that 2,157 New Yorkers were newly diagnosed with HIV in 2017 & that’s 2,157 New Yorkers too many. With proven prevention methods like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) & the knowledge that people living with HIV who are on treatment cannot transmit the virus, we have the tools & the data to end this epidemic once & for all. Now we need the proper resources. GMHC is proud to partner with the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene as we work collectively to stop new infections & reach all New Yorkers who are living with or affected by this disease.” However, the report showed some areas where we need to redouble our prevention efforts. For example, new infections among Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) increased in 2016, according to the report.
For More Info: gmhc.org
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