The Guardian reported. "Those infected are almost all white, male, gay and young," th
And the trend is not confined to the United States: researchers in the U.K. and Europe have also noted the increase, reported British newspaper The Guardian on Sept. 7. "By investigating the genetic profile of the virus in more than 500 newly screened patients over nine years, scientists in Belgium have identified clusters of people with type B virus--not the one that is most prevalent in Africa," The Guardian reported. "Those infected are almost all white, male, gay and young," the article continued.
The researchers noted that, "Members of this cluster are significantly younger than the rest of the population and have more chlamydia and syphilis infections," the article said.
"Those infected are almost all white, male, gay and young," the article continued
The AIDS crisis that ravaged the gay community in cities like New York and San Francisco may be less visible, but it is still raging, health experts earn--and a new wave of HIV infections may be about to crest.
For some time, researchers have noted that despite efforts to promote safer sex, HIV rates are climbing among young gay men. So are rates for other sexually transmitted diseases, such as syphilis; unfortunately, individuals already infected with one STI may be at an elevated risk for contracting others, including HIV.
While some of the blame may rest with younger gays not having access to safer sex messages, a perception among young MSMs (men who have sex with men) that AIDS is no longer a serious health concern may also be driving the increased incidence in HIV. Most serious of all, however, is a tendency toward unsafe sex and other risky behaviors, such as drug use, which affect judgment and may lead to more unsafe sex-and a higher rate of HIV infection.
And the trend is not confined to the United States: researchers in the U.K. and Europe have also noted the increase, reported British newspaper The Guardian on Sept. 7. "By investigating the genetic profile of the virus in more than 500 newly screened patients over nine years, scientists in Belgium have identified clusters of people with type B virus--not the one that is most prevalent in Africa," The Guardian reported. "Those infected are almost all white, male, gay and young," the article continued.
The researchers noted that, "Members of this cluster are significantly younger than the rest of the population and have more chlamydia and syphilis infections," the article said.
That is not to say that heterosexuals do not also face the risk of contracting HIV; overall, just under half of the new cases of HIV in Britain were gay men, but straights were also getting infected. One main difference was that while gays seemed to be getting infected without traveling to other countries, heterosexuals--who were picking up a different strain of the virus--seemed to be contracting the virus while abroad, the article said.
"Gay men are still the most at risk of HIV infection in the UK," said Nick Partridge, the head of British AIDS charity the Terrence Higgins Trust. "We also know that more than a quarter of people with HIV in the UK are currently undiagnosed, and they’re far more likely to pass the virus on than those who know they have it."
The Belgian study, which looked at HIV trends in Britain and Europe, was carried out by researchers at Ghent University. But health experts in the United States also cautioned that HIV remains a serious health threat here.
In a Sept. 3 release from New York-based Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), Dr. Marjorie Hill, the group’s CEO, warned, "A new wave of HIV infections is about to hit New York and we had all better get ready for it," and went on to echo that one major concern is the number of people living with HIV who have not gotten tested, and so don’t know that they have it.
However, Dr. Hill continued, a new state law requiring routine HIV testing is likely to lead to a sharp uptick in reported new cases. "Previously, patients were required to sign a separate written consent form in order to get tested for HIV," explained Dr. Hill. "Now, if you agree to a quick swab test, you will only have to give oral consent.
"When undergoing routine medical procedures or check-ups, you will be offered a standard HIV blood test to sign off on along with the battery of tests that most patients receive. Once you give your consent, it stays in effect for all your future blood tests," Hill added, going on to cite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as projecting an estimate that says "100,000 people in New York City alone are currently living with HIV infection, but more than 25,000 of them do not know it."
Added Hill, "Most of these unknowing carriers of HIV feel and look healthy and are, in most respects. But they are missing out on treatments that could prevent them from progressing to AIDS. Plus, they are in danger of transmitting the virus to others, continuing to fuel the epidemic."
One crucial benefit of testing is that the sooner HIV+ individuals know their status, the sooner they can begin taking medication to keep the virus in check. Though there is no cure for HIV, modern treatment regimens can help many HIV+ people keep their viral loads down to undetectable levels, meaning that they have a better chance at a normal life span. But early treatment is the key, a Chicago specialist in HIV/AIDS, Dr. James Sullivan, said recently.
