HIV Dashboard - Late Diagnosis
Goal: By 2021, reduce the proportion of Texans with late diagnosis of their HIV infection to no more than 20% of annual new diagnoses.
Overall Status: On track to achieve goal
White MSM: Achieved goal early
Black MSM: Achieved goal early
Hispanic MSM: On track to achieve goal
Black Women who have sex with men: On track to achieve goal
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Data source: Texas eHARS, 2016
Goal source: Texas HIV Plan
People can live with an HIV infection for many years before being diagnosed. Persons living with an undiagnosed HIV infection are not receiving the treatment they need to prevent progression to Stage 3 HIV (also known as AIDS). The chances of HIV transmission are higher when people are unaware of their HIV status. We can improve the health of people with HIV and reduce new transmissions if we reduce late diagnosis of HIV.
Persons living with HIV are considered late to diagnosis if they receive a Stage 3 HIV (AIDS) diagnosis within 3 months of receiving their first HIV diagnosis. The Texas HIV Plan (PDF) has a goal of reducing the proportion of Texans with a late diagnosis of their HIV infection to no more than 20% of annual diagnoses by 2021.
We are on track to meet this goal; in 2015, only 22% of new diagnoses were late. Among groups identified as priority populations for Texas’ HIV Plan, White MSM and Black MSM have achieved the target goal. Late diagnosis in Hispanic MSM have decreased tremendously, but have not achieved the goal of <20%. Late diagnosis in Black heterosexual women is very close to meeting the goal – 20% of diagnoses in Black heterosexual women were late in 2014, but the proportion increased to 23% in 2015.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. For those with specific risk factors for HIV, CDC recommends getting tested once a year. You can find free, fast and confidential testing on the CDC website. You can read more about strategies to reduce undiagnosed and late diagnosed HIV infections in the Texas HIV Plan (PDF).