Years Since Diagnosis Among People Living With Diagnosed HIV in New York City

Abstract

Antiretroviral treatment has greatly improved the survival of people living with diagnosed HIV (PLWDH), but little information is available on the time since diagnosis among them. Using New York City HIV surveillance data, we described the trend in the number of years since diagnosis among PLWDH during 2010-2019 and reported the mean, median, and interquartile range (IQR) of years since diagnosis among PLWDH in New York City in 2019, overall and by gender, race and ethnicity, and transmission risk. The median number of years since diagnosis among PLWDH in New York City increased from 10.5 years (IQR, 6.3-15.6) in 2010 to 16.3 years (IQR, 8.9-22.1) in 2019. By gender, transgender people had the shortest time since diagnosis, with a median of 11.4 years (IQR, 5.6-17.9), compared with men (median = 15.2 years; IQR, 8.1-21.6) and women (median, 18.5 years; IQR, 12.0-23.0). By race and ethnicity, non-Hispanic White people had been living with the diagnosis for the longest time (median = 17.4 years; IQR, 9.5-23.5), and Asian/Pacific Islander people had been living with the diagnosis for the shortest time (median = 10.1 years; IQR, 4.7-17.0). With an expected and continuing increase in the number of years since HIV diagnosis among PLWDH, programs that provide treatment and support services will need to be expanded, updated, and improved.