ATLANTA (Reuters)-
According to a federal study released on Wednesday, from 2005 to 2011, the proportion of unprotected sex between American men and other men increased by 20%, new concerns were raised about the spread of HIV, which led to AIDS. Fifty-
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7% of men who have sex with other men reported unprotected anal sex at least once in the past 12 months, up from 48% in 2005.
The study of more than 9,000 men included interviews and HIV testing.
"We are concerned about this growth," said Gabriela Paz, the study's lead author . "
Bailey told Reuters
It is estimated that 50,000 people are infected with HIV every year in the United States, a figure that has remained stable in recent years, Paz-Bailey said.
She added that men who have sex with other men account for 65% of new infections, although they account for only 2% of the total population.
The reason for the increase in unprotected anal sex is not clear, but this study says it may be because men are increasingly having sex with their partners with the same HIV status, believing that this reduces their risk of contracting the virus.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that it could be a dangerous strategy.
The agency said that men with HIV "may not know or disclose that they are infected, and that male assumptions about the HIV status of their partner may be wrong . ".
Emphasizing the need to increase testing, the study found that men who do not know their HIV status are more likely to have unprotected anal intercourse with other men than those who have been tested for the virus.
"We think testing is one of our biggest weapons . "Bailey said.
"We know that men may change their behavior when they are tested and understand their status.
"CDC recommends annual HIV testing for those at high risk of getting the virus, but in this study only 67% of men who have sex with other men say they have been tested in the past year