1.2 MILLION people in the United States are living with HIV.

1 in 5 are unaware of their infection.

CDC estimates that men who have sex with men (MSM) account for just 2 percent of the US population, but accounted for 61 percent of all new HIV infections in 2009. MSM accounted for 49 percent of people living with HIV infection in 2008.

In 2009, white MSM accounted for the largest number of new HIV infections of any group in the US, followed closely by black MSM.

Young, black MSM were the only risk group in the US to experience statistically significant increases in new HIV infections from 2006–2009.

BETWEEN 2006-2009

BLACK MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN ages 13-29 showed a 48 PERCENT INCREASE IN NEW HIV INFECTIONS.

The CDC numbers show that in 2006, there were 4,400 HIV infections among black gay and bisexual men ages 13-29. The numbers jumped to 6,500 infections in 2009 within the same age group. This subpopulation represents the only subpopulation in the U.S. to experience a statistically significant increase during these three years.

Among Latinos, gay and bisexual men account for nearly two-thirds of all new infections with nearly half of these infections among Latino men who have sex with men occurring in the 13-29 age group.

In 2006, more than 30,000 MSM and MSM-intravenous drug users were newly infected with HIV.

Among all MSM, whites accounted for nearly half (46 percent) of new HIV infections in 2006. The largest number of new infections among white MSM occurred in those aged 30–39 years, followed by those aged 40–49 years.

Among all Hispanic/Latino MSM in 2006, the largest number of new infections (43 percent) occurred in the youngest age group (13–29 years), though a substantial number of new HIV infections (35 percent) were among those aged 30–39 years.

It’s estimated that 28 percent of transgender people are HIV-infected.

A recent CDC study found that in 2008 one in five (19 percent) MSM in 21 major US cities were infected with HIV, and nearly half (44 percent) were unaware of their infection. In this study, 28 percent of black MSM were HIV-infected, compared to 18 percent of Hispanic/Latino MSM and 16 percent of white MSM. Other racial/ethnic groups of MSM also have high numbers of HIV infections, including American Indian/Alaska Native MSM (20 percent) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander MSM (18 percent).

In 2007, MSM were 44 to 86 times as likely to be diagnosed with HIV compared with other men, and 40 to 77 times as likely as women.

From 2005–2008, estimated diagnoses of HIV infection increased approximately 17 percent among MSM. This increase was likely due to a combination of factors: increases in new infections, increased testing, and diagnosis earlier in the course of infection; it may also have been due to uncertainty in statistical models.

In 2008, an estimated 17,940 MSM were diagnosed with AIDS in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US dependent areas—an increase of 6 percent since 2005.

By the end of 2007, an estimated 282,542 MSM with an AIDS diagnosis had died in the United States and 5 dependent areas.

— Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention