Only 25 Percent of HIV Patients Have Virus Under Control

Only 1 in 4 Americans living with HIV has the infection under control. That means they are taking medication and successfully responding to it. A new report suggests that the other 75 percent aren't getting enough medicine or care to prevent themselves from spreading the virus to others.

The report was compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bottom line of the data is that much more needs to be done when it comes to diagnosing, treating and reducing the transmission of HIV/AIDS. That's a big problem for South Florida which has one of the highest AIDS rates in the country.

Dr. Cheryl Holder, an internal medicine specialist in Opa Locka, says to increase testing it must be routine.

"When you go to the doctor or ER for anything they should include the test. Also, home kits and more advertising of free testing sites should be made available. There should be HIV testing in all high schools," she says.

According to the CDC, in 2010 only 9.6 percent of adult Americans had been tested for HIV during the past 12 months. Testing varied by state, from 4.9 percent to 29.8 percent, the researchers noted.

Those least likely to know they have HIV and least likely to get prevention counseling are gay and bisexual men. Researchers say they are the population most affected by the disease. While the number of Americans newly infected with HIV remained stable between 2006 and 2009, infections rose nearly 50 percent among young black gay and bisexual men, according to a CDC report released in August. Men who have sex with men -- which includes openly gay and bisexual men and those who do not identify themselves as gay or bisexual -- remain most heavily affected.

"My takeaway message is that young black gay males need mentoring, acceptance and more support. They are being victimized by the society - gay and straight," Dr. Holder says. "I don't know if the evidence is there but at some time someone knew they were positive and still had unprotected sex. Many times that person was an adult."

The virus, once a death sentence, can be reduced to low levels in the blood with use of combination antiviral medicines. Those drugs also lower the risk of spreading HIV, the report said. Still, Dr. Holder says getting access to those drugs isn't always easy. "The delay in getting the meds is anxiety-provoking. Florida, like other states has a long waiting list."

To reach more high-risk groups, the CDC is launching a new campaign urging regular testing for young black gay and bisexual men, a population in which both HIV and syphilis infections continue to rise. The campaign includes advertising in gay and black neighborhoods in cities where infections in this population are highest: Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston, New York, Oakland and Washington, D.C.

Several initiatives are underway in Florida to increase awareness and testing. Last year, Florida's Department of Health tested 410,000 people - quite a high number for a state of 19 million residents. It was accomplished using a wide array of outreach programs offering free or low-cost testing in places like laundromats, bars and mobile units. "Our goal is to take HIV testing to the people," says Marlene LaLouta, HIV Prevention Director for the Florida Department of Health.

Florida now tests for HIV using three methods: a conventional blood test, a mouth swab called OraSure and a rapid test where results are available within 20 minutes. The rapid tests are used in about half of all cases because there's no more anxious waiting period. "We're never going to say that we've done enough, but we do feel that we reach a lot more people because our program is so progressive and comprehensive."

For information on HIV testing sites, go to www.floridaaids.org. Go to the Prevention and Testing tab; then click on your county for a list of test sites.