Here are 5 statistics that illustrate the current state of HIV in the US

NIAID scientists studying the human immune response to HIV.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The phrase, “HIV is no longer a death sentence,” optimistically highlights the modern medical advancements that now allow HIV-positive people to live long lives. However, the phrase partially obscures the fact that not everyone has access to HIV treatment, and untreated Americans still die from HIV-related illnesses.

“We are seduced by the lie, both that AIDS is a thing of the past and the reality that it is ongoing,” lesbian HIV activist Sarah Schulman once wrote. However, the statistics below provide a clearer look at the current state of HIV and some encouragement about our progress in the continued fight to end it.

1.2 million people living with HIV

Although 1.2 million is just below the entire population of Dallas, Texas — a sizeable number indeed — the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that most people living with HIV in the U.S. are now aged over 50. This is partly very good news because it means that people diagnosed with HIV are dying in far fewer numbers than before.

The downside to this statistic is that…

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