Gay and bisexual men made up two-thirds of the almost 50,000 reported new infections over the period; African American men who have sex with men account for more new infections than any other subgroup. 

 

The CDC's chief of Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance, Joseph Prejean, said the rising number of infections among gay and bisexual youth may be due to the perception that HIV is now a manageable disease.

 

"We do realize that many men who have sex with men do probably underestimate their personal risk and believe that treatment advances minimize the health threat," he said.

 

CDC Director Thomas Frieden added that the average cost of treating HIV over a person's lifetime is  $400,000.  

So young barebackers, give yourself a Christmas gift: take a few serious minutes to reflect on whether doing it raw is really worth the consequences to your health -- and remember it's not Santa who will foot the bill for your lifetime of treatment.    
 

Estimated HIV incidence in the United States, 2007–2010. [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]