How does more accurate data on HIV incidence numbers help public health officials strengthen HIV prevention efforts?
RB: HIV incidence is the leading barometer of what’s happening in the epidemic now. If we know what HIV incidence is doing in different subgroups and demographics, then we have a better idea of who to target with prevention efforts. How many new infections are occurring is one of the best metrics of measuring the current growth of the epidemic. DH: In order to prevent HIV infection, we need to know where the epidemic is going and to get ahead of it with effective prevention programs. Having a much more precise estimate of HIV incidence will give us a better sense of who needs services most urgently. And going forward, the new methodology will give us a better sense if our national HIV prevention effort is intensive enough to meet national prevention goals. JPF: What else do the new data suggest about HIV incidence? DH: The detailed analyses suggest that the epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) is increasing very rapidly [of the 56,000 new infections in 2006, the study reports
