The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) thinks now is a good time for the gay community to begin talking to each other about HIV and the organization is hoping an open dialogue will help will reduce the risk of the disease.
The national campaign is dubbed Start Talking. Stop HIV. The CDC is hoping some frank discussions about this sensitive subject matter will lead to behaviors that can help reduce risk, such as HIV testing and status disclosure.
The campaign is actually the latest phase in the CDC's Act Against Aids initiative launched back in 2009 by both the CDC and the White House to combat complacency about HIV and AIDS in the United States.
"Given the range of HIV prevention options available today, talking about HIV prevention has never been more important for gay and bisexual men," said Jonathan Mermin, M.D., M.P.H., director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. "Only after having open and honest conversations can partners make informed choices about which strategies will work for them. Start Talking. Stop HIV. urges gay and bisexual men to break the silence and take control of their health."
The CDC explains that though they only represent 2% of the overall population, gay and bisexual men -- including those who inject drugs -- account for more than half of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United States (57%, or an estimated 657,800 people), and two-thirds of all new HIV infections each year. A 2011 study in 20 U.S. cities with high AIDS prevalence found that 18% of gay or bisexual men had HIV. That's about 1 in 6 men. Of those men, 33% did not know they had HIV.
"(The campaign) seeks to reduce new HIV infections among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men by encouraging open discussion about a range of HIV prevention strategies and related sexual health issues between sex partners," the CDC explained in a released statement. "Effective partner communication about HIV can reduce HIV transmission by supporting HIV testing, HIV status disclosure, condom use, and the use of medicines to prevent and treat HIV."
The CDC estimates that 50,000 people are infected with HIV in the United States every year. They claim that if molecular testing is able to earlier identify the virus in patients, it could prevent them from spreading it to thousands of others who would otherwise have been infected.
