In 2015, nearly 40,000 people were diagnosed with HIV infection. Half of those had been living with HIV for at least 3 years. One-quarter had been infected for ≥ 7 years.
But now HIV is being diagnosed sooner than before after infection. The estimated median time from infection to diagnosis in 2015 was 3 years compared with 3 years and 7 months in 2011, according to a CDC Vital Signs report.
Estimated median time from infection to diagnosis ranged from 5 years for heterosexual men to 2 and one-half for heterosexual women and women who inject drugs. The median time was 4 years for Asian Americans, 3 years for African Americans and Latinos, and 2 years for whites.
The percentage of people at high risk for HIV who report getting a test the previous year also has risen. Despite that progress, though, the CDC says “too few are tested.”