Approximately 1 in 4 new HIV infections in the United States in 2010 occurred in youth aged 13-24 years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nearly two-thirds (60%) of infected youth are unaware of their condition, according to a study published online Nov. 27 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
"The bottom line is that every month, 1,000 youth are becoming infected with HIV," CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden said in a telebriefing. "The cost of care of a single patient is approximately $400,000 over their lifetime," he said. "That means every month we are accruing about 400 million dollars of health care costs from preventable infections in youth."
Amanda Mills/CDC
New data from the CDC show that 1 in 4 new HIV infections in the U.S. occur in youth aged 13-24 years.
"Reducing HIV among young people is a top priority for CDC," said Dr. Frieden. "This is about the health of a new generation, and protecting them from an entirely preventable disease."
In 2010, youth aged 13-24 years accounted for 12,200 new cases of HIV, which was 26% of the total estimated 45,700 new HIV infections. Of these 12,200, approximately 8,000 (72%) occurred in young men who have sex with men (MSM). Approximately 57% of the new cases among young MSM occurred in black youth, compared with 20% among both white and Hispanic youth, he noted.
An estimated 7,000 (57%) newly infected youths were black, 2,390 (20%) were Hispanic, and 2,380 (20%) were white. The report did not account for the ethnicity of the remaining 3% of the cohort. The majority of the newly infected youth were male (83%).
Although the CDC currently recommends routine HIV testing in medical settings, only 13% of high school students, 22% of sexually active high school students, and 35% of young adults aged 18-34 years have been tested, according to the report (MMWR 2012;61:1-6).
The researchers also reviewed data on risky behaviors among high school students in 12 states and 9 large urban school districts. Overall, young MSM were significantly less likely than their heterosexual peers to have used a condom during their most recent sexual encounters (44% vs. 70%), significantly more likely to have had four or more sexual partners (39% vs. 27%), and significantly less likely to report learning about HIV or AIDS in school (75% vs. 86%).
"We know there are many young people who are not routinely seeing health care providers," Dr. Frieden said. However, health care providers have a role to play in preventing the spread of HIV.
"The key for clinicians is to make it [HIV testing] routine," said Dr. Frieden. "Just as we screen adults for high cholesterol, we screen people for HIV infection. If someone refuses testing, that is their right," he said, but clinicians can have a policy of "this is what we do."
CDC researchers used data from the National HIV Surveillance System to estimate the incidence of new HIV infections in 2010. Data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey and the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System were used to assess risk factors and testing rates.
The study was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.