Many young, black MSM unaware of HIV positivity

Many young, black MSM unaware of HIV positivity

More likely to become infected at younger age

The alarming number of young HIV-infected men who have sex with (MSM) who do not know they are infected is driving transmission in this disproportionately emerging population in the AIDS epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. In one recent study, 77% of young, urban MSM aged 15–29 who tested HIV-positive as part of the study mistakenly believed they were not infected, the CDC reports in a recently posted fact sheet on young MSM. The percentage was even higher for young black HIV-infected MSM, 90% of whom did not know their infection status. Obviously, people who do not know they are infected might be less likely to take measures to keep from spreading the virus to others.

As a result, the burden of HIV infection falls disproportionately on certain groups of young people, including young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and youth of color.