Who Is Transmitting HIV in the U.S. and What Can Be Done About It?

The ultimate goal of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is virologic suppression, which virtually eliminates HIV transmission risk. Improvements along the HIV care continuum are critical to implementing treatment as prevention. Using data from the National HIV Surveillance System, the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System, and the Medical Monitoring Project, investigators estimated the rate and number of HIV transmissions that occurred in 2009 in the U.S. at each step of the continuum.

That year, an estimated 207,600 individuals had undiagnosed HIV infection, 519,414 were aware of their infection but not retained in care, 47,453 were retained in care but not prescribed ART, and 82,809 were prescribed ART but not virally suppressed. Individua…