Here are 5 statistics that illustrate the current state of HIV in the US

The phrase, “HIV is no longer a death sentence,” optimistically highlights the modern medical advancements that now allow HIV-positive people to live long lives. However, the phrase partially obscures the fact that not everyone has access to HIV treatment, and untreated Americans still die from HIV-related illnesses.

“We are seduced by the lie, both that AIDS is a thing of the past and the reality that it is ongoing,” lesbian HIV activist Sarah Schulman once wrote. However, the statistics below provide a clearer look at the current state of HIV and some encouragement about our progress in the continued fight to end it.

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1.2 million people living with HIV

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Although 1.2 million is just below the entire population of Dallas, Texas — a sizeable number indeed — the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that most people living with HIV in the U.S. are now aged over 50. This is partly very good news because it means that people diagnosed with HIV are dying in far fewer numbers than before.

The downside to this statistic is that an estimated 13% of people living with HIV don’t know that they have the virus. Not knowing one’s HIV status increases the likelihood that one won’t receive treatment or take other precautions to avoid transmitting HIV to others.

A 12% reduction in new HIV cases

New HIV infections in the U.S. dropped by 12% between 2017 and 2021, according to the CDC. The decline — from about 36,500 new infections in 2017 to about 32,100 in 2021 — is largely due to greater HIV awareness among young gay and bisexual men.

The CDC found that, between 2017 and 2021, greater percentages of young gay and bi men got tested to learn their HIV status and received medical treatment to significantly decrease their chances of transmitting HIV to other sexual partners.

While the U.S. isn’t on track to meet its goal of reducing new infections by 90% by 2030, the overall decrease at least highlights the necessary steps to do so.

382,000 men using pre-exposure prophylactics (PrEP)

An estimated 382,000 men in the U.S. are on PrEP, a drug that greatly reduces a person’s chances of contracting HIV., according to a 2022 estimate from the CDC. This number is roughly equivalent to the entire population of New Orleans, Louisiana.

While PrEP has played a vital role in decreasing the number of new HIV infections in the U.S. over the last half-decade, the CDC estimates that 1.2 million would benefit from taking it. The CDC has said that increased outreach, education, and services are needed to help make PrEP more widely available to the poor people, Black and Latino people, and female populations that would most benefit from its use.

4,977 deaths from HIV-related illnesses

The number of HIV-related deaths decreased by over 50% from 2010 to 2017, according to the CDC, largely thanks to early testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART). Early ART helps reduce HIV patients’ viral load to undetectable levels, which helps patients lead longer, healthier lives.

However, the CDC said that, in 2021, nearly 5,000 people died of HIV-related illnesses such as pneumonia and hepatitis C. Most of these deaths occur where certain higher-risk groups remain unaware, underserved, or neglected due to a lack of access to medical testing and treatment. HIV continues to have a particularly disproportionate impact on men who have sex with men, non-white racial and ethnic groups, and transgender women.

$7.7 billion in 2023 federal funding to fight HIV

This year, the federal government proposed over $7.7 billion in federal funding towards numerous domestic initiatives to end the epidemic, including funding for outreach to marginalized communities, housing for HIV-positive people, and AIDS Drug Assistance Program.

The administration of President Joe Biden has proposed $8 billion in funding to fight the epidemic for 2024. However, congressional Republicans have openly called for slashing funding, not only to domestic programs but also to international efforts, namely the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an African HIV-prevention program launched by President George W. Bush in 2003 that has saved over 25 million lives.