New Diagnoses in MSM - Epi Profile Section 4

Epi Profile Section 4 - New Diagnoses in MSM

Trends and Profile of Texans with New HIV Diagnoses

In 2018, 3,177 MSM were diagnosed with HIV infections, meaning that each day between eight and nine MSM were diagnosed. MSM made up 70% of the Texans with new diagnoses in 2018.

The annual number of MSM who were diagnosed rose 17% between 2009 and 2018. The profile of MSM with new diagnoses in 2018 shows continuation of trends from past years:

  • Three out of four were Black or Hispanic; 

  • Two out of three were younger than 35; and 

  • All MSM were disproportionately affected by HIV, but the diagnosis rates were highest among Black MSM and those under 35. 

Figure 14:  Number of Texas MSM with new diagnoses, 2009-2018  
Figure 14:  Number of Texas MSM with new diagnoses, 2009-2018 
Source: Texas eHARS, 2018 
Data for Figure 14 

MSM with New Diagnoses by Race/Ethnicity

The number of Black and Hispanic MSM with new HIV diagnoses rose over the past 10 years, with new diagnoses in Black MSM rising 16% and new diagnoses in Hispanic MSM increasing at twice that rate (Figure 15). 

Figure 15: Texas MSM with new HIV diagnoses by race/ethnicity, 2009-2018  
Figure 15: Texas MSM with new HIV diagnoses by race/ethnicity, 2009-2018
 
Source: Texas eHARS, 2018 
Data for Figure 15 

MSM with New Diagnoses by Age

In 2018, 2 out of 3 MSM with new diagnoses were between 15 and 34 years old. The number of new diagnoses in both the 15-24 (youth) and 25-34 age groups rose together from 2010 to 2014. From 2015 to 2018, new diagnoses in 25-34-year-olds continued to rise, but new diagnoses in youth fell by about 11%.

Figure 16: Texas MSM with new HIV diagnoses by age groups, 2009-2018  
Figure 16: Texas MSM with new HIV diagnoses by age groups, 2009-2018 
Source: Texas eHARS, 2018 
Data for Figure 16 

Diagnosis Rates

MSM diagnosis rates are 33 times higher than the rates for Texans overall, and the rates for Black and Hispanic MSM are especially high. The rate for Black MSM means that DSHS estimates that 1 in 100 Black MSM in Texas received an HIV diagnosis in 2018. 

The diagnosis rates for MSM between 18 and 34 years old are much higher than the rates for other age groups. They suggest that 1 in 100 of the MSM in those two age groups were diagnosed with HIV in 2018. 

Another way of looking at burden of disease is ‘1 in’ statements. For Texas overall in 2018, 1 in 305 Texans received an HIV diagnosis in 2018. The HIV burden is much higher for MSM: 1 in 191 MSM were given an HIV diagnosis in 2018 (Table 11). The rates for young MSM of color are even higher: 

  • 1 in 30 Black MSM 18-24 years old were diagnosed in 2018; 

  • 1 in 105 Hispanic MSM in this age group were diagnosed in 2018; 

  • 1 in 26 Black MSM 25-34 years old were diagnosed in 2018; and 

  • 1 in 81 Hispanic MSM in this age group were diagnosed in 2018. 

Figure 17:  Diagnosis rates in MSM by race/ethnicity, Texas 2018  
Figure 17:  Diagnosis rates in MSM by race/ethnicity, Texas 2018 
Source: Texas eHARS, 2018 rates per 100,000 
Data for Figure 17 

 

Figure 18:  Diagnosis rates in MSM by age group, Texas 2018  
Figure 18:  Diagnosis rates in MSM by age group, Texas 2018 
Source: Texas eHARS, 2018 rates per 100,000 
Data for Figure 18 

Table 10: Texas MSM with new HIV diagnoses by age and race/ethnicity, 2018 

 

 

White 

Black 

Hispanic 

Total 

Age group (years) 

Number 

Rate 

Number 

Rate 

Number 

Rate 

Number 

Rate 

18-24 

102 

404.4 

322 

3,332.2 

326 

955.7 

789 

1,082.0 

25-34 

228 

546.0 

423 

3,801.5 

542 

1,230.9 

1,265 

1,209.0 

35-44 

120 

320.8 

134 

1,282.8 

277 

712.9 

554 

588.8 

45-54 

118 

326.0 

60 

664.2 

157 

533.0 

349 

434.0 

55-64 

61 

154.9 

22 

254.9 

55 

259.3 

141 

192.0 

65+ 

19 

38.4 

104.0 

41.5 

35 

44.0 

Total 

648 

282.6 

968 

1,076.1 

1,364 

662.6 

3,133 

523.7 

A rate above 1,000 in this table can be translated into a percentage. For example, DSHS estimates that 3.3% of Black MSM between 18 and 24 were diagnosed with HIV in 2018. 
Source: Texas eHARS, 2018 

Table 11: '1 in' statements for diagnosis in MSM by age and race/ethnicity, 2018 

 

 

White 

Black 

Hispanic 

Total 

Age group (years) 

1 in 

1 in 

1 in 

1 in 

18-24 

247 

30 

105 

92 

25-34 

183 

26 

81 

83 

35-44 

312 

78 

140 

170 

45-54 

307 

151 

188 

230 

55-64 

646 

392 

386 

521 

65+ 

2,604 

962 

2,410 

2,273 

Total 

354 

93 

151 

191 

Table 12: New HIV diagnoses in Texas MSM, 2014-2018 

 

 

2014 

2015 

2016 

2017 

2018 

 

Number 

% 

Number 

% 

Number 

% 

Number 

% 

Number 

% 

All MSM 

3,071 

100% 

3,146 

100% 

3,218 

100% 

3,072 

100% 

3,177 

100% 

Race/Ethnicity 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White 

656 

21% 

631 

20% 

644 

20% 

545 

18% 

650 

21% 

Black 

950 

31% 

983 

31% 

979 

30% 

992 

32% 

988 

31% 

Hispanic 

1,306 

43% 

1,358 

43% 

1,402 

44% 

1,402 

46% 

1,385 

44% 

Other 

49 

2% 

59 

2% 

59 

2% 

47 

2% 

64 

2% 

Multiple Races 

110 

4% 

115 

4% 

134 

4% 

86 

3% 

90 

3% 

Age Group (years) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0-14 

<1% 

 

 

<1% 

 

  

<1% 

15-24 

939 

31% 

931 

30% 

887 

28% 

819 

27% 

833 

26% 

25-34 

1,081 

35% 

1,152 

37% 

1,306 

41% 

1,234 

40% 

1,265 

40% 

35-44 

529 

17% 

530 

17% 

511 

16% 

522 

17% 

554 

17% 

45-54 

367 

12% 

386 

12% 

356 

11% 

332 

11% 

349 

11% 

55-64 

118 

4% 

117 

4% 

126 

4% 

145 

5% 

141 

4% 

65+ 

36 

1% 

29 

1% 

30 

1% 

20 

1% 

35 

1% 

Source: Texas eHARS, 2018