Ending Perinatal HIV in the U.S. — How Close Are We?

Since the first description of perinatally acquired AIDS in 1982, the U.S. has seen an impressive reduction in HIV transmission both in utero and intrapartum thanks to strategic use of antiretroviral agents. With the success of these interventions to reduce mother-to-child transmission, the concept for eliminating perinatal transmission of HIV was established.

In an analysis of data from the National HIV Surveillance System, CDC researchers examined perinatal HIV diagnosis and transmission rates from 2010 through 2019. The estimated number of live births to women with HIV ranged from 4587 to 3525. Over this 10-year period, 514 cases of perinatal transmission were reported — fewer than 100 each year — and the number of perinatally infected in…