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Model Projects 10% Rise in U.S. HIV Infections if CDC Testing Funds End

Researchers warn that cuts to CDC-backed testing could reverse recent gains in HIV control.

Overview

  • An NIH-funded Johns Hopkins model of 18 states estimates roughly 12,751 additional HIV infections over five years if CDC-funded testing stops, equal to about a 10% increase.
  • The projections differ by location, with a 2.7% rise in Washington versus nearly 30% in Louisiana, reflecting heavier reliance on CDC-supported tests and greater risk in rural areas.
  • The team explains that testing finds people who do not know they have HIV so they can start treatment that suppresses the virus and stops further spread.
  • Coverage links the findings to newly proposed federal cuts, including reported $1.5 billion reductions and a plan to limit prevention funds to $220 million, which advocates say would dismantle core prevention and raise long-term health costs.
  • CDC figures cited in reports note about 40,000 new U.S. diagnoses each year and roughly 1.2 million people living with HIV, and the agency typically sends more than $1 billion a year to local programs for testing and prevention.