A large percentage of American men diagnosed with HIV have had unprotected sex in the last 12 months, according to a recent report from CBS News.
According to "HIV Testing and Risk Behaviors Among Gay, Bisexual and Other Men who have Sex with Men," a report released by the Center for Disease Control last week, 62 percent of men who self-reported HIV-positive have had unprotected anal sex in the last year.
The CDC noted that although the population of men having sex with men is a small population, the group participating in the study represents the majority of people diagnosed with HIV, CBS reported.
CBS reported that men who had sex with men accounted for about half of the person's diagnosed with the virus in all but two states. The CDC cited anal sex as having the highest-risk practice for HIV infection.
"High HIV prevalence, lack of awareness of HIV-positive status, and unprotected anal sex" between gay, bisexual and other men are cited by the CDC as contributing to continued new infections among this population.
Based on the study, unprotected anal sex in the last 12 months increased nearly 20 percent among men having sex with men from 2005 to 2011. Those unaware of their HIV-positive status were more than twice as likely to have unprotected discordant anal sex with a partner of opposite or unknown HIV status.
In the past year, 67 percent of men who have sex with other men test for HIV. Having unprotected anal sex at least once in the past 12 months increased from 48 percent in 2005 to 57 percent in 2011.
"The reasons for the increase in unprotected anal sex are not fully known but might partially reflect the adoption of presumed risk-reduction strategies," according to the CDC report.
According to CBS, some men attempt to decrease their HIV risk or spreading it by having unprotected sex with partners perceived to have the same HIV status. However, the practice in itself is risky because some people may not disclose or even know they are infected with the virus.
Researchers believe more testing and openness about safe sex can dramatically curb the spread of infections.
"Sexually active MSM should be tested at least annually for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections," researchers said in the report. "Sexually active MSM can take steps to make sex safer such as choosing less risky behaviors, using condoms consistently and correctly if they have vaginal or anal sex, reducing the number of sex partners, and if HIV-positive, letting potential sex partners know their status."
