Despite improved access to retroviral treatment and better screening methods, the AIDS epidemic claimes an estimated 2 million lives each year. According to UNAIDS estimates, over half of new HIV infections are occurring among young people (15-24 years) – or over 7,000 new infections a day worldwide.

However, several steps could be followed to improve the following situation: universal HIV testing should be expanded in order to reduce the number of people who are infected with the virus but are unaware of it.

 

Reports show that just 100 of the 5,000 emergency rooms in the United States routinely test for HIV in patients who are not severely ill. The CDC urged for “new strategies such as expanded screening in health-care settings” to have an early diagnosis of HIV, as early diagnoses and treatment are key steps in controlling the AIDS epidemic.

 

According to recent estimates, African Americans account for more than half of new HIV cases reported in the U.S. annually, even though they represent only 14% of the general U.S. population. A report released last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed a worrying trend: young black men, black women and white gay men in their 30s and 40s are much more likely to be newly infected with HIV than other groups in the United States.