November 21, 2005 | Sex & Society

HIV rates rise in 2004

As World AIDS Day approaches, a  report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the number of gay men diagnosed with HIV in the US increased in 2004 over the previous year.

The study  found an 8 percent increase in HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men between 2003 and 2004. Experts are unsure of the reasons for the increase; some suggest increases in unprotected sex  and syphilis may be the cause; others say increased HIV testing among gay men may be reflected in the higher numbers.

Overall there were 40,000 new HIV diagnoses in 2004. Sixty-one percent of males diagnosed with HIV were men who have sex with men. Worldwide, according to a report released this week by the UN, there were 5 million new HIV cases in the last year, most in Africa.

• HIV rates rose among gays last year [Gay.com]
• HIV cases pass 40 million mark: UN [Yahoo! News]