Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCalculating HIV RiskHow Common Is HIV?What Are the Odds of Getting HIV?How to Prevent HIVFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Calculating HIV Risk
How Common Is HIV?
What Are the Odds of Getting HIV?
How to Prevent HIV
Frequently Asked Questions
AlthoughHIVdoesn’t grab the world headlines as it did during the height of the AIDS pandemic, it remains a major global health concern. In 2023, an estimated 1.7 million people were newly infected worldwide.In 2022 (the most recent year for which statistics are available, there were over 38,000 new infections in the United States.
As with allpandemics, some groups are hit harder than others, and not only is the number of new cases rising, but so, too, are the odds of getting HIV if you’re in that group. Understanding the risks—where HIV is more common and less common—can help you navigate the risk and reduce the odds.
Peter Dazely / Getty Images
In terms of HIV risk, prevalence is arguably the more important value in that it describes how many people in a specific group have HIV at that moment in time. The higher the prevalence, the more common HIV is within that group, and the greater your likelihood of infection.
Calculating HIV Prevalence
HIV prevalence not only describes a geographic population, such as the city of San Francisco or sub-Saharan Africa, but also groups with defined characteristics, likemen who have sex with men (MSM)or people between the ages of 18 and 24.
By calculating the rate of infections within these groups, both health officials and the public have a better idea of how common HIV is within that population and can formulate strategies to reduce the risk of infection.
How Is HIV Most Effectively Spread?
HIV Doctor Discussion GuideGet our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.Download PDFEmail AddressSign UpThank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.There was an error. Please try again.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Download PDF
Email AddressSign UpThank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.There was an error. Please try again.
Sign Up
Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.
There was an error. Please try again.
How Common Is HIV Today?
HIV Prevalence in the U.S.
Currently, in the United States, an estimated 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV out of a total population of about 333 million. That translates to an HIV prevalence of roughly 0.4%.
This doesn’t mean that wherever you go in the U.S., the risk will be the same. In dense urban populations, the risk of infection is greater, whether the infection is HIV orCOVID-19. But other factors weigh in as well, not least of which include poverty and access to quality healthcare.
In richer communities, access to health insurance means that you are more likely to get diagnosed, treated, and maintain anundetectable viral loadif you get HIV. Without the same access to care, people who are poor are less likely to be diagnosed and more likely to infect others, increasing the HIV prevalence in their communities.
These dual dynamics—population density and poverty—are reflected in prevalence rates that are not only higher in cities like New York and Washington but also in parts of the country, like the South, where access to healthcare is poor. As a result, HIV prevalence rates are highest in the South (0.534%) and the Northeast (0.513%), where both of these concerns are endemic.
The South is of special concern. Today, nearly half of all Americans without health insurance live in southern states.Not surprisingly, these states accounted for 52% of all new HIV infections in 2018.
Global HIV Prevalence
As a result, the prevalence rates seen in Eswatini (Swaziland), for example, are significantly greater than those seen in resource-rich countries like the United States.
Prior to the widespread distribution ofantiretroviral drugs, it was not uncommon to see prevalence rates in some countries exceeding 30%.Although figures like these have dropped significantly since the height of the pandemic in 2004, they still remain astonishingly high, with as many as one in four people affected in some so-called high-prevalent countries.
This is especially true in sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 25.7 million people currently live with HIV.
In contrast to hard-hit countries in the developing world, the adult HIV prevalence in developed countries, like those in western and central Europe, is similar to the United States (about 0.2%).
Life Expectancy for People Living With HIV
By Age
Sex is the primary mode of HIV transmission in the United States and most other parts of the world. As a result, younger people who are generally more sexually active are at greater risk. Young people are also more likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as multiple sex partners and alcohol/substance abuse, or contract STDs likechlamydiaorgonorrhea, which helpfacilitate HIV infection.
Further fueling the transmission risk is the high rate of undiagnosed infections among teens and young adults. The CDC estimates that as many as 44% of people aged 13 to 24 are unaware of their HIV status, which means they are more likely to transmit the virus to others.
Causes and Risk Factor of HIV
By Routes of Transmission
HIV is effectively transmitted through body fluids, including blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. With that being said,howthese fluids enter the body makes a big difference in how likely you are to get infected.
In the United States, the lion’s share of new infections are among men who have sex with men (MSM), the majority of whom acquire HIV throughanal sex. MSM also represent the largest single population of people living with HIV, with numbers exceeding 739,000 in 2022.
Biological vulnerabilities also factor into the increased rates of infection among heterosexual women. As the receptive partner invaginal sex, the risk of transmission among women is twice that of her male partner.
Although injecting drug use represents a small percentage of infections in the U.S. (roughly 7%), the blood-to-blood transmission of HIV via shared needles is extremely effective and is believed to contribute to as many as one in 10 new infections.
A Word of CautionIt is never wise to “play the odds” when estimating your risk for HIV. Irrespective of what the statistics say, it is possible to get infected with only a single exposure.
A Word of Caution
It is never wise to “play the odds” when estimating your risk for HIV. Irrespective of what the statistics say, it is possible to get infected with only a single exposure.
Why Gay Men Are at High Risk of HIV
By Race
Race and HIV are integrally linked. People of color, including women of color, are disproportionately affected compared to Whites due to a multitude of intersecting risk factors.
Not only are the rates of poverty twice as high among Blacks and Latinos as they are with Whites (18.8% and 15.7% versus 7.3% respectively), but the resulting lack of access to qualified healthcare paired with high levels of HIV stigma continue to many away from thediagnosisandtreatmentthey most desperately need.
As a population group, whites account for nearly a third of all new HIV infections in the United States but have a substantially lower HIV prevalence than either Blacks or Latinos.
Today, Blacks and Latinos represent only 13.4% and 18.5% of the U.S. population but respectively account for over 447,000 and 242,500 of the total infections. By contrast, Whites represent 60.1% of the U.S. population and account for only 323,000 infections.
The High Risk of Gay Black Men Getting HIV
There are things you can do to significantly reduce your risk of getting or passing HIV:
This is especially true if you are in aserodiscordant relationship, in which one partner has HIV and the other hasn’t. In such cases, you need to not only reduce the infectivity of theHIV-positivepartner but the susceptibility of theHIV-negativepartner as well. With modern antiretroviral therapies, this is possible.
Arguably, the greater challenge is avoiding infection if you’re in a casual relationship or have multiple partners. Even if you inquire about a partner’s status (and you should), you can’t always be sure that the response is accurate or up to date.
8 Simple Steps to Prevent HIV
A Word From Verywell
Although HIV is not necessarily the life-threatening disease that it once was, it still poses serious risks to a person’s health and well-being if an infection occurs. By educating yourself and formulating an effective prevention strategy, you can reduce the risk of transmission and enjoy peace of mind whether you have multiple risk factors or just one.
If you need help in formulating an HIV prevention strategy, speak with your doctor or ask for a referral to a community-based HIV organization or a local STD clinic.
There are currently an estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some populations are at higher risk of contracting HIV. Gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men have the highest rates of HIV transmission.Among age cohorts, rates of new HIV infections are highest for people aged 25 to 34. By race, Blacks have the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses.
Some populations are at higher risk of contracting HIV. Gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men have the highest rates of HIV transmission.
Among age cohorts, rates of new HIV infections are highest for people aged 25 to 34. By race, Blacks have the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses.
Anal sex is the most common route of HIV transmission. Receiving anal sex has a per-incident risk of one in 72, while inserting anal sex has a rate of one in 909.Sharing needles is the second riskiest behavior for contracting HIV, with a one in 158 chance per incident.The risk of transmission through oral sex is considered to be extremely low. The use of a barrier such as a condom or a dental dam can make the risk even lower.
How Antiretroviral Therapy Works for HIV
21 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.The urgency of now: AIDS at a crossroads.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV diagnoses, deaths, and prevalence.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Estimated HIV incidence and prevalence in the United States, 2018–2022.
Department of Health and Human Services.Data and trends: U.S. statistics.
UNAIDS.2000 Report on the global AIDS epidemic.
UNAIDS.Regional profile: Western and Central Europe and North America.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV testing and youth.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gay and bisexual teen males no more likely than heterosexual teen males to engage in several sexual risk behaviors.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV Surveillance Report 2017.
Handanagic S, Finlayson T, Burnett JC, Broz D, Wejnert C; National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Study Group.HIV infection and HIV-associated behaviors among persons who inject drugs—23 metropolitan statistical areas, United States, 2018.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(42):1459-1465. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7042a1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV and pregnant women, infants, and children.
U.S. Census Bureau.Inequalities persist despite decline in poverty for all major race and Hispanic origin groups.
Moore RD.Epidemiology of HIV infection in the United States: Implications for linkage to care.Clin Infect Dis. 2011;52(suppl_2):S208-13. doi:10.1093/cid/ciq044
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection: Screening.
Reniers G, Helleringer S.Serosorting and the evaluation of HIV testing and counseling for HIV prevention in generalized epidemics.AIDS Behav. 2011;15(1):1-8. doi:10.1007/s10461-010-9774-0
Tan D, Senn H, Sharma M, Wilton J.Pre-exposure prophylaxis for sexually-acquired HIV risk management: a review.HIV. 2015;7:125-6. doi:10.2147/HIV.S50025
Rodger A, Cambiano V, Bruun T, et al.Sexual activity without condoms and risk of HIV transmission in serodifferent couples when the HIV-positive partner is using suppressive antiretroviral therapy.JAMA.2016;316(2):171-81. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.5148
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV risk reduction tool: about the data.
Aidsmap.Estimated HIV risk per exposure.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV risk reduction tool: find answers to your questions.
World Health Organization.Estimated number of people (all ages) living with HIV.World Health Organization.HIV—prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15 to 49 (%).
World Health Organization.Estimated number of people (all ages) living with HIV.
World Health Organization.HIV—prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15 to 49 (%).
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
