Federal plan to reduce new HIV transmissions may need added resources

It’s been almost a year since the Trump administration announced a plan to reduce new HIV transmissions by 90% by 2030, and new CDC data reveal that the first phase of the plan — targeted testing of high-risk populations — may need additional resources. The analysis looked at 2017 data from U.S. areas that see more than half of all HIV cases, areas that are the initial focus of the federal plan. Scientists found that in these high-risk areas, Black men — who are disproportionately infected with HIV — accounted for nearly half of new diagnoses. And nearly 60% of Black men who already had a diagnosis were not getting treatment. The authors of the report suggest that without added measures — such as identifying barriers to care — reaching the government’s goals may be difficult in this population.