Dear colleague

September 24, 2024

September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD), a day when we reaffirm our commitment to ending the disproportionate impact of HIV on gay and bisexual men in the United States.

Recently, encouraging progress shows declines in new infections among gay and bisexual men overall, as well as among many sub-groups most affected by HIV. However, gay and bisexual men continue to be most affected by HIV. Of the 31,800 estimated new HIV infections in the United States in 2022, 67% (21,400) were among this group. In 2022, almost half (47%) of new HIV infections among gay and bisexual men were in the South, and nearly 3/4 (73%) of those were among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino men.

The annual number of estimated new HIV infections in 2022 compared to 2018 shows an overall decrease among gay and bisexual men of 10%. Age-specific trends reveal a 31% decrease among all young gay and bisexual men ages 13-24, and by region, a 16% decrease among gay and bisexual men who live in the South. Among Black/African American gay and bisexual men, there was a significant overall decrease of 16%, including a 26% reduction among young Black/African American men aged 13-24. Similarly, among white gay and bisexual men, there was a 20% overall decrease, including a 39% reduction among young white men aged 13-24. Cases among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men remained stable, indicating a need for better understanding of the situation and improved support.

Although progress is being made, it has been uneven, and we should ensure we decrease inequities while we reduce new infections and help people access treatment. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a key tool in continuing to reduce new HIV infections, and recent surveillance data from the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system show increases in PrEP awareness and use among a survey of gay and bisexual men. From 2017 to 2023, the percentage of gay and bisexual men who were aware of PrEP increased from 85% to 93%, and PrEP use among gay and bisexual men increased from 25% to 45%. Overall increases in PrEP prescriptions among people who could benefit show that, since the implementation of Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.

 in 2019, the number of people in the U.S. who have been prescribed PrEP has increased. Even so, the reach of this strategy is far from equal, and substantial racial and ethnic disparities persist. Although Black/African American gay and bisexual men and Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men reported increases in PrEP awareness and use over the same period, more culturally and linguistically appropriate access to HIV testing and prevention services is needed, including PrEP and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). We must work to eliminate HIV stigma and other barriers to compassionate, culturally competent HIV care.

To address these disparities, CDC is launching PrEPared/PrEParado, a new social marketing initiative under CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign to increase PrEP uptake and maintenance among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men in the South. PrEPared aims to encourage conversations about PrEP between Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men and their providers, increase the numbers of providers prescribing PrEP, and increase the number of Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men in the South who get and stay on PrEP. In the coming months, CDC will partner with health departments and local partners across the South for co-implementation of the initiative.

To address HIV-related disparities among gay and bisexual men, CDC has funding available to support health departments in implementing comprehensive HIV prevention and surveillance programs, including focused interventions for gay and bisexual men, like doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy PEP) for prevention of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and also provides funding opportunities to support community-based organizations focused on HIV testing, prevention, and linkage to HIV treatment among this key population. CDC has also funded Emory University and partners to launch Together TakeMeHome (TTMH)

, a nationwide program to expand distribution of HIV self-tests directly to consumers by mail. In the first year, from March 14, 2023, through March 13, 2024, the program distributed 443,813 tests to 219,360 people. Among those who responded to a post-order questionnaire, 44% (75,295) were gay and bisexual men. These data suggest that distributing HIV self-tests by mail can reach large numbers of people, many who have never taken an HIV test or have not been tested as often as recommended.

CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign offers valuable resources to support national HIV prevention efforts. Let’s Stop HIV Together is an evidence-based campaign created in English and Spanish that aims to empower communities, partners, and health care providers to reduce HIV stigma and promote HIV testing, prevention

, and treatment. If you are a clinician and want to learn more about prescribing PrEP or find resources to share with your patients, visit our HIV Nexus. To help us promote NGMHAAD this year, download and share our many resources on PrEP and share social media content from CDC’s digital toolkit using the #NGMHAAD hashtag.

Together, we can all work to reduce HIV-related disparities among gay and bisexual men and continue our hard-earned progress toward ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.

Sincerely, 

/Robyn Fanfair/ 
Robyn Neblett Fanfair, MD, MPH
Captain, USPHS
Division Director
Division of HIV Prevention 
National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
www.cdc.gov/hiv

/Jonathan Mermin/
Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH
Rear Admiral, USPHS (Ret.)
Director
National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Stay connected: @DrMerminCDC & Connections

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society.

9 Latinx Artists to Know

Learn about the lives and works of artists from the 1930s to today, all represented in the National Gallery of Art’s collection.

National Gallery of Art

Image Credit: Martine Gutierrez, Demons, Yemaya “Goddess of the Living Ocean”, 2018, chromogenic print in hand-painted artist’s frame, National Gallery of Art, Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund, 2022.180.3

National Museum of the American Latino 

The contributions and experiences of Latinos in the United States are an essential part of our nation’s history and culture. The National Museum of the American Latino will showcase the achievements and contributions of Latinos to American history.

Smithsonian | National Museum of the American Latino

Image credit: National Museum of the American Latino

Featured Document Display: Sylvia Mendez and the Struggle for Mexican American Civil Rights

When the Mendez family tried to enroll in the majority-white school near their home, they were instead sent to a segregated school for Hispanic students. The Mendez family filed a lawsuit, arguing that segregating children based on ethnicity was a violation of the 14th Amendment. Documents from their historic lawsuit will be on display at the National Archives Museum through October 15, 2024.

National Archives

Image credit: National Archives

Mi Parque, Mi Historia

National Hispanic Heritage Month traditionally honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries.

National Park Service

Image credit: National Park Service

Hispanic American Veterans

Asked to serve their country in time of war, Hispanic Americans displayed courage and valor in the face of adversity. Familiar with discrimination back home, many saw their service as affirming the ideals of democracy. In this presentation, the Veterans History Project recounts their inspirational stories.

Library of Congress

Image credit: Jose Sol, USAAF, Library of Congress

Hispanic Heritage Month Resources

On this webpage of resources curated by the National Museum of the American Latino, you’ll find a list of why and how we celebrate Latino communities and their contributions to American society, a list of virtual exhibits featuring Latino history, bilingual resources, stories of Latino achievements, and more.

Smithsonian

Image credit: Carmen Lomas Garza, Tamalada, 1990, color lithograph, 20 x 27 in. (50.8 x 68.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by John B. Turner, 1997.5, (c) 1990, Carmen Lomas Garza

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Join us today at:

Bergen NEW BRIDGE MEDICAL CENTER in Paramus

to remember all those we lost 09-11-2021

and all the heroes who worked to save lives on that day.

9/11 Memorial  –  230 E. Ridgewood Ave | Paramus, NJ 07652

The Memorial was built by medical center employees and friends in 2004 and is the only one of its kind that lists the names of every person lost. It was dedicated on September 10, 2004.

Open to the public, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center welcomes family members of those who lost loved ones, community members, staff members, and any person who would like a place of peace and remembrance to visit.