HIV Testing Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, 2019–2020 | MMWR - ISS-G20 Laboratorium Repository

What is already known about this topic?

HIV testing is the first step in accessing HIV prevention and care services. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted health care delivery and might have affected HIV testing, which is critical to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.

What is added by this report?

From 2019 to 2020, new HIV diagnoses reported to CDC decreased by 17% accompanied by a substantial decline in HIV testing during the same period, including among priority populations in CDC-funded jurisdictions.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Partnering among federal organizations, state, and local health departments, community-based organizations, and health care systems to increase access to services, including HIV self-testing and routine opt-out screening in health care settings, can compensate for testing and diagnoses missed during the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerate the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative.

Entire content available on: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7125a2.htm?s_cid=mm7125a2_w