New York City’s HIV epidemic is not over, but the Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) has been working for almost five years to make testing for the disease a routine part of medical screening – and the statistics show the scope of their success.
Since 2005, the HHC has tested more than 500,000 New Yorkers for HIV, and 6,500 tested positive. In Queens alone, between Elmhurst Hospital Center and Queens Hospital, 100,000 patients were tested.
On an individual basis both centers have exemplified growth. Elmhurst hospital has tested 19,811 patients, a 15 percent increase since 2006. Queens Hospital has tested 16,022 patients, with a 14 percent increase from 2006 through 2009.
This year, 190,000 patients have been tested by the HHC, which is a 17 percent increase from the 160,000 in 2008 and a 200 percent increase from four years ago. More than 1,800 patients tested HIV positive and were immediately linked to care.
An average of 90 percent of the individuals identified as HIV positive were linked to life-saving care within 90 days of their diagnosis, and the majority, 60 percent, entered care within the same month they were diagnosed.
“HIV is still a crisis in our city, and the rise in HIV rates among black and Hispanic youth is particularly alarming. By making testing available in as many settings as possible, and as a routine medical screening, we are increasing the numbers of early detections, one of the most important aspects of fighting this devastating illness,” said HHC President Alan D. Aviles.
An estimated 20,000 New Yorkers, one in five people living with HIV, do not know they are infected. New York City remains the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, with the highest number of AIDS diagnoses in the country. Among people under 65, HIV is the third leading cause of death in the city.
The HHC will continue to expand access to HIV testing, treatment and prevention for all New Yorkers, regardless of the ability to pay or immigration status.
There are 11 acute care hospitals that are Designated AIDS Centers; two are located in Queens.
To find a public hospital or health center providing HIV testing and treatment in New York City, visit nyc.gov/hhc or call 3-1-1.
