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from Medical Issues
Many HIV-Positive Males Unaware
They're Infected
April 27, 2005 -
CDC researchers have just published the results of a study of more than 5,600
gay and bisexual males between the ages of 15-29 in the Journal of Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndromes (April 15, 2005).
The study, headed by Duncan A. MacKellar with the CDC, found that the HIV
epidemic among young gays and bisexual males "continues unabated." He found
there is a low rate of testing for the virus among this population.
According to a Reuters report on this study, 10% of those surveyed were found to
be HIV positive; 77% of these were unaware that they were infected.
MacKellar says that the low rate of testing among young gay and bisexual males
may be due to the belief that they're at low risk for the virus. He says that
limited access to healthcare and fear of testing positive may also be important
reasons why they fail to be tested regularly.
Half of those surveyed had engaged in unprotected sex within the previous six
months. MacKellar says that the CDC is "working with [healthcare] providers to
make HIV testing a more routine part of healthcare."
Updated: 8 February 2008
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