HIV testing sharp decline during pandemic
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY-TV/ CNN) - Thousands of people in the U.S. could be living with undiagnosed HIV.
In a new report Thursday the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the number of HIV tests conducted in health care and other community based settings dropped by 44% in 2020.
Researchers said the rate then stayed at the lower level during the pandemic.
The report also found that the decline in testing corresponded with a 17% drop in new diagnoses reported to the health agency.
a CDC official warns the pandemic has changed the course of HIV prevention.
Testing is a core strategy in the initiative called “ending the HIV epidemic in the U.S."
The initiative targets a 90-percent reduction in new HIV cases by 2030.