5. Stop the Spread of HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections
More than 108,000 New Yorkers are living with HIV/AIDS and thousands more are unaware they are infected. Among those with known risk, men who have sex with men (MSM) account for nearly 60% of newly diagnosed HIV infections each year – more than any other risk group – and more than half of new diagnoses among men. Blacks and Hispanics account for nearly 7 out of 10 new diagnoses among MSM. Over the past decade, new diagnoses have declined by 30% among older MSM but have increased by 53% among those under 30.
In 2009, 75,000 New Yorkers were diagnosed with gonorrhea, syphilis, or chlamydia; many more infections were likely undiagnosed and untreated. Syphilis continued to spread among MSM, 60% of whom were also infected with HIV. Gonorrhea is also on the rise, especially among young men.
