Year in Review: The Top HIV-related Stories of 2011
As the calendar marches toward 2012, there is good news and not-so-good news on the HIV pandemic. The good news: This year brought huge advances in fighting HIV/AIDS, including major steps forward in prevention and expanded access to treatment, which has helped slash the number of global infections and deaths.
Now the not-so-good news: Much of the U.S. media's HIV reporting focuses on the epidemicoutside of the U.S. Within the U.S., new infections are rising among gay men, especially men of color. The economy has forced many U.S. states to decrease funding for HIV services. And pervasive stigma and the criminalization of HIV remain a problem.
Let's take a look at some of the major HIV stories that rocked 2011 in the U.S.
30 years of AIDS Moments to Remember
Thirty years ago, the CDC published its first mention of the HIV virus. In honor of that anniversary we take a look back at the most important moments in AIDS history.
Click through the timeline to see the people and events who will forever live in our memories. The graph underneath shows the trends of HIV/AIDS-related deaths, HIV diagnosis and the prevalence of those living with HIV or AIDS during this time period.
1 in 5 men who have sex with men in 21 U.S. cities has HIV; nearly half unaware.
Study highlights urgent HIV prevention needs for men who have sex with men, especially young men and men of color
Approximately one in five (19 percent) men who have sex with men (MSM) in a study of 21 major U.S. cities is infected with HIV, and nearly half (44 percent) of those men are unaware of their infection, according to a new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the study, young MSM and MSM of color were least likely to know their HIV status. The findings were published today in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
"This study's message is clear: HIV exacts a devastating toll on men who have sex with men in America's major cities, and yet far too many of those who are infected don't know it," said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. "We need to increase access to HIV testing so that more MSM know their status, and we all must bring new energy, new approaches, and new champions to the fight against HIV among men who have sex with men."
A few recent stats about HIV/AIDS
around the world.
The AIDS pandemic is almost 30 years old. Sixty million
people have been infected with HIV – more than the com-
bined populations of California and New York. Thirty million
people have died – about the population of Venezuela. The
number of people who will get infected with HIV this year
almost equals the population of Chicago.
news worth knowing
Knowledge is our strongest ally, and we want to keep you informed. Here is where we’ll share the latest news in the fight against HIV. Intriguing research. Local and national initiatives. Stories that give us hope. And disappointing facts sometimes, sadly. So take a look. And keep checking back, because we’ll be updating weekly.
