In New York City, the estimated time between acquisition of HIV and antiretroviral (ARV) treatment initiation declined by more than 42% over a recent nine-year period.

Publishing their findings in Clinical Infectious Diseases, McKaylee M. Robertson, PhD, of the City University of New York, and colleagues analyzed data on the 28,162 people diagnosed with HIV in New York City between 2006 and 2015. By June 2017, 89% had begun ARVs.

The median CD4 count at diagnosis increased from 326 in 2006 to 390 in 2015.

The investigators used those figures to estimate the median length of time that elapsed between individuals’ acquisition of the virus and their HIV diagnosis.

They estimated that during the study period, the time between HIV acquisition and the initiation of ARV treatment in New York declined by 42%, from a median of 6.4 years for those diagnosed in 2006 to 3.7 years for those diagnosed in 2015.

The time between individuals’ acquisition of HIV and their diagnosis declined by 28%, from a median of 3.6 years for those diagnosed in 2006 to 3.3 years for those diagnosed in 2015. The median time between diagnosis and treatment initiation declined form 0.5 years to 0.2 years during this period.

The study authors concluded that more effective strategies are needed for promoting earlier diagnosis of people in New York.

To read the study abstract, click here.