HIV and Gay and Bisexual Men: HIV Diagnoses

Data for 2020 should be interpreted with caution due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to HIV testing, care-related services, and case surveillance activities in state and local jurisdictions. While 2020 data on HIV diagnoses and prevention and care outcomes are available, we are not updating this web content with data from these reports.

HIV diagnoses is one of the six Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. indicators. HIV diagnoses refers to the number of people who received an HIV diagnosis during a given year. In 2019, gay and bisexual menc made up 69% (25,552) of the 36,801 new HIV diagnoses in the US and dependent areas.d

EHE goal: decrease the number of new HIV diagnoses to 9,588 and 3,000 by 2030.
69 percent of the 36,801 new HIV diagnoses in the US and dependent areas in 2019 were among gay and bisexual men.
New HIV Diagnoses Among Gay and Bisexual Men in the US and Dependent Areas by Race/Ethnicity, 2019
Among gay and bisexual men who received an HIV diagnosis in 2019, racial and ethnic disparities continue to exist.
This chart shows new HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men in the United States and dependent areas by race/ethnicity.

*Black refers to people having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. African American is a term often used for people of African descent with ancestry in North America.
Hispanic/Latino people can be of any race.
Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2019. HIV Surveillance Report 2021;32.

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New HIV Diagnoses Among Gay and Bisexual Men in the US and Dependent Areas by Age, 2019
Gay and bisexual men aged 13 to 34 made up most new HIV diagnoses among all gay and bisexual men.
This chart shows new HIV diagnoses in the United States and dependent areas in 2019 among gay and bisexual men by age.

NOTE: Total may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2019. HIV Surveillance Report 2021;32.

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HIV Diagnoses Among Gay and Bisexual Men in the US and Dependent Areas, 2019

From 2015 to 2019, HIV diagnoses decreased 9% among gay and bisexual men overall. But trends varied for different groups of gay and bisexual men.

This chart shows HIV diagnoses trends in the US and dependent areas among gay and bisexual men from 2015 to 2019 by age.
This chart shows HIV diagnoses trends in the US among gay and bisexual men from 2015 to 2019 by race/ethnicity.

* Changes in subpopulations with fewer HIV diagnoses can lead to a large percentage increase or decrease.
Black refers to people having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. African American is a term often used for people of African descent with ancestry in North America.
‡ Hispanic/Latino people can be of any race.
Source: CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2019. HIV Surveillance Report 2021;32.

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c Includes infections attributed to male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use (men who reported both risk factors).
d American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Palau, and the US Virgin Islands.

  1. CDC. Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2019HIV Surveillance Report 2021;32.
  2. CDC. Estimated HIV incidence and prevalence in the United States, 2015–2019 [PDF – 3 MB]. HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report 2021;26(1).
  3. CDC.  Monitoring selected national HIV prevention and care objectives by using HIV surveillance data—United States and 6 dependent areas, 2019. HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report 2021;26(2).
  4. CDC. Sexually transmitted disease surveillance, 2019. Accessed September 1, 2021.
  5. CDC. Behavioral and clinical characteristics of persons with diagnosed HIV infection—Medical Monitoring Project, United States, 2020 cycle (June 2020–May 2021)HIV Surveillance Special Report 2022;29.
  6. CDC. HIV infection risk, prevention, and testing behaviors among men who have sex with men—National HIV Behavioral Surveillance, 23 U.S. cities, 2017. HIV Surveillance Special Report 2019;22.
  7. CDC. HIV care outcomes among men who have sex with men with diagnosed HIV infection—United States, 2015MMWR 2017;66(37):969-74.
  8. CDC. HIV testing experience before HIV diagnosis among men who have sex with men—21 jurisdictions, United States, 2007–2013MMWR 2016;65(37):999-1003.
  9. Clark HA, Oraka E, DiNenno EA, et al. Men who have sex with men (MSM) who have not previously tested for HIV: Results from the MSM testing initiative, United States (2012-2015). AIDS Behav 2019;23(2):359-65. PubMed abstract.
  10. Kwan CK, Rose CE, Brooks JT, Marks G, Sionean C. HIV testing among men at risk for acquiring HIV infection before and after the 2006 CDC recommendations. Public Health Rep 2016;131:311-9. PubMed abstract.