The variety of newly identified circumstances of HIV in Sonoma County has elevated previously 5 years, a troubling development that’s leading to extra circumstances amongst Latino and feminine residents.
Native well being officers identified that males who’ve intercourse with different males nonetheless comprise the biggest variety of new circumstances. However they warned that charge of publicity amongst folks partaking in heterosexual intercourse is rising.
Amongst those that do check optimistic for HIV, heterosexual folks additionally usually tend to additionally check optimistic for AIDS at first analysis, officers mentioned. That development is especially troubling provided that, total, fewer circumstances are progressing from HIV to AIDS.
Heterosexual residents are much less possible than homosexual and bisexual males to check for HIV or use preventative HIV medicines resembling PrEP, mentioned Julia Rubin, an epidemiologist with Sonoma County Public Well being Division.
“Heterosexual folks might not assume to be examined sooner, so they could not go in for routine testing and ask for HIV as a result of they assume they’re not in danger,” Rubin mentioned. “So by the point they’re identified, it’s at a later stage.”
Dr. Leslie Kimura, Sonoma County’s deputy well being officer, mentioned the brand new knowledge highlights the necessity for a broader public well being consciousness about HIV and AIDS. Kimura cited a nationwide research that confirmed about 13% of Individuals residing with HIV don’t know they’ve it as a result of they’ve by no means been examined.
“It is vital for everybody to acknowledge that they could not have been examined for HIV, and that is one thing they must ask their supplier for,” she mentioned.
Rising charges
Napa County is also seeing an total small improve in new HIV infections. There, new HIV circumstances went from 6 in 2020 to fifteen in 2023. Officers mentioned Napa County has a smaller variety of annual HIV and AIDS circumstances in comparison with Sonoma County, which makes it difficult to evaluate developments from 12 months to 12 months.
“Beginning in 2022, we seem like experiencing a modest improve in diagnoses of recent circumstances and that is one thing we’re persevering with to watch,” county officers mentioned in an e mail.
The developments in Sonoma County are extra pronounced.
Between 2016 and 2019, the variety of new HIV circumstances in Sonoma County dropped from 40 to 24. However the numbers rebounded to 42 in 2022 and 37 in 2023, in line with the newest public well being knowledge.
Latest Sonoma County knowledge additionally exhibits that:
* Case charges for newly identified HIV infections are highest amongst Black residents. Between 2014-2023, case charges amongst Black residents ranged from 12.5 circumstances per 100,000 inhabitants to 52.8 circumstances per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2023, Black residents had 25.2 circumstances per 100,000 inhabitants.
* Of the 108 newly identified HIV circumstances between 2021 and 2023, Latinos comprised 46% of the caseload. In distinction, Latino residents signify slightly below 28% of the county’s inhabitants.
* The case charge is rising amongst individuals who establish as girls, together with transgender females.
* The case charge can also be rising amongst those that report their publicity got here throughout heterosexual contact, whereas case charges are dropping amongst males who’ve intercourse with males.
Rubin mentioned there’s additionally been “a really slight improve total in intravenous drug customers however usually that’s stayed considerably constant.“
The info underscore an vital public well being message, Rubin and Kimura mentioned: A bigger share of the inhabitants needs to be testing extra typically for HIV.
“Particularly, the CDC does suggest that everybody aged 13 to 64 ought to get examined for HIV at the very least as soon as as a part of routine care,” she mentioned. “After which these with sure threat elements needs to be examined extra typically.”
Based on county knowledge, between 2014 and 2018, there have been a complete of 162 newly identified HIV circumstances. Throughout that interval, 17% of these circumstances have been co-diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
Within the subsequent 5-year interval (2019-to-2023), the share of co-diagnosed HIV/AIDS circumstances rose to 24% of the 169 new circumstances.