National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is observed each year on September 27 to focus on the disproportionate effects of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic on gay bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). In 2007, the estimated HIV diagnosis rate among MSM was 692 per 100,000, which was 44 to 86 times the rate for other men and 40 to 77 times the rate for women (1).

Although MSM represent approximately 2% of the U.S. population (1), in 2006 they accounted for 57% of all new HIV infections (2). From 2005 to 2008, estimated diagnoses of HIV infection increased approximately 17% among MSM in 37 states (3). In 2008, black MSM had the highest estimated number of diagnoses of HIV infection, followed by white and Hispanic MSM (3). In recent years, new HIV diagnoses have increased significantly among young black MSM (4).

CDC supports a range of efforts to reduce HIV infection among MSM. These include HIV prevention services that aim to reduce the risk for acquiring and transmitting HIV and to increase the linkage of infected MSM to treatment. Additional information about these efforts and National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day activities is available at http://www.aids.gov/awareness-days, http:// www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/msm, and http://www.cdc.gov/ lgbthealth.

References

1. Purcell DW, Johnson C, Lansky A, et al. Calculating HIV and syphilis rates for risk groups: estimating the national population size of MSM . Presented at the 2010 National STD Prevention Conference, Atlanta, GA; March 10, 2010.

2. Hall HI, Song R, Rhodes P, et al. Estimation of HIV incidence in the United States. JAMA 2008;300:520-9.

3. CDC. HIV surveillance report, 2008. Vol. 20. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2010.

4. CDC. Trends in HPV7AIDS diagnoses among men who have sex with men-33 states, 2001-2006. MMWR 2008;57:681-6.