Antiretroviral Therapy Underutilized in HIV Patients

Hyattsville, MD—A new report from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics found that almost half of American adults infected with HIV are not taking antiretroviral medications. The prevalence of HIV infection was estimated based on a survey of more than 10,000 people. The survey found that 0.39% of people aged 18 to 59 years who lived in U.S. households were HIV-positive. Of those infected with HIV, 48% were not on antiretroviral therapy. This is far below the UNAIDS 2020 goal that states that 90% of diagnosed patients should receive treatment. These results show a widespread lack of recommended care and highlight the challenges in getting effective treatment to enough of the affected populations.

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