Diagnose

CDC is continuing to invest in priority areas, helping local HIV programs recover, rebuild, and begin to expand in the wake of COVID-19.

Great strides have been in made in HIV prevention, but about 1 in 7 (13%) of the estimated more than 1 million people with HIV in America still don’t know they have HIV.

Since 2006, CDC has recommended all people ages 13 to 64 be tested for HIV at least once in healthcare settings. Uptake of that recommendation has not been optimal, however, and differences in HIV testing by race, ethnicity, and geography continue to persist. These gaps must be closed.

Innovative, community-driven solutions are at the heart of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative. CDC collaborates with communities and other agencies to increase local capacity to expand HIV testing according to CDC guidelines, so all people with HIV in high-burden areas receive a diagnosis. Key approaches include:

• Using the latest systems and technology to make HIV testing simple, accessible, and routine in all settings, including STD clinics, which serve a high volume of racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender minority groups.
• Using focused approaches to encourage more people at substantial risk for HIV to get tested at least annually for HIV.
• Collaborating with partners to identify and implement innovative technologies and programs, such as self-testing, to improve testing access. Over 80% of EHE-funded jurisdictions plan to promote and increase access to HIV self-tests, and conduct testing via mobile testing units and/or in nontraditional settings. Additionally, to expand capacity of frontline community-based organizations (CBOs), CDC will award $9 million in the second half of 2021 to support CBOs to develop self-testing programs and distribute self-test kits.
• Working with funded recipients to expand innovations in testing spurred by COVID-19, including:
  • The expanded use of telemedicine and telehealth
  • Rapid HIV tests or mail-in self-testing kits
  • Same-day delivery PrEP or treatment upon HIV test result
  • Creative and customized solutions for communities