The rate of HIV diagnoses has risen among gay men under 30, while the rate plummets or holds steady in older age groups.

That is according to the latest CDC report, which indicates a growing generational divide based on data collected between 2008 and 2016. 

In that time, the rate of new infections for under 30s was four times the rate for gay men aged 30 to 50, who grew up in the harrowing AIDS epidemic of the 80s and 90s. The rate for over 50s remained unchanged.  

As ever, rates were particularly high among young black and Hispanic men, who the CDC warns are under-served with resources and information.

Since 2008, the rate of new infections for under 30s was four times the rate for gay men aged 30 to 50, who grew up in the harrowing AIDS epidemic. The rate for over 50s remained unchanged

Since 2008, the rate of new infections for under 30s was four times the rate for gay men aged 30 to 50, who grew up in the harrowing AIDS epidemic. The rate for over 50s remained unchanged

Since 2008, the rate of new infections for under 30s was four times the rate for gay men aged 30 to 50, who grew up in the harrowing AIDS epidemic. The rate for over 50s remained unchanged

The last few years have seen a boom in prevention methods and treatments for the once-fatal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 

What was once a life sentence is no longer, and these days it’s possible to have exactly the same life expectancy as your peers even after an HIV diagnosis. 

However, millions of people are still diagnosed every year, and health officials believe there are around 2.1 million Americans who should start taking preventative pills due to their higher risk of the condition.

What’s more, there appears to be a growing generational divide, with clinics across the country – and across the world – reporting higher rates among younger patients. 

In July this year, the International AIDS Society published a report warning that the excitement about possibly reaching an end to the epidemic ‘has bred a dangerous complacency and may have hastened the weakening of global resolve to combat HIV.’

The new CDC figures, published in today’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, add weight to those concerns. 

As of 2016, two thirds of HIV infections in the US were diagnosed in men who have sex with men, but the only group seeing a rise is the 13-29-year-old group. 

The report recommends more testing, and ‘intensified efforts to increase the rate of HIV testing are particularly important for younger [men who have sex with men].’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk