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New CDC data reveal gaps in HIV treatment
Most respondents to the annual survey report being in good or better health. But some barriers to treatment remain.
Rebecca Grapevine, Healthbeat
March 19, 2026 • Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Hi, Atlanta!
Much of my reporting is driven by this question: How can a city with so much HIV expertise still have such high rates of HIV?
The answers to those questions are complex — and each year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts a large survey looking at how people living with HIV are faring with drug access, adherence, and many other issues. The latest data from the nationally representative survey of 3,711 people in 16 states and Puerto Rico cover June 2023 to May 2024 and the report was released this week.
Here are few key points:
On the good news front, 69% of respondents said they were in good or better health — proof that a healthy life with HIV is possible. That number has remained fairly stable for the past five years.
But adherence to HIV treatment regimens that prevent the spread of the disease was less than ideal, with one-third of respondents reporting not having taken all of the doses of their drugs within the prior 30 days. Those rates were higher for people under 39. About one-third of respondents said they had not achieved sustained viral suppression, defined as a very low rate of HIV in the blood, in the past year.
Treatment helps people with HIV stay healthy — but it also stops the spread of HIV. That’s because people who are virally suppressed — meaning they have low levels of HIV in their blood — cannot transmit the disease.
There are many reasons people may not be able to adhere perfectly to their drug regimens — forgetting is a common reason.
The survey also points to logistical factors that could hamper adherence. For example, 42% said money or insurance problems were a reason for non-adherence. Another 31% said a health care provider never discussed restarting treatment drugs with them, and 21% said they did not think they needed the drugs. Only 30% reported receiving adherence support services, and just 10% of those who needed mental health services got those.
Nationally, 34% of respondents reported living in poverty, 10% reported being homeless in the prior year, and 20% reported hunger or food insecurity. That instability can contribute to people not being able to maintain their medications.
27% reported being current smokers, which HIV expert Dr. John Brooks flagged as a big concern, in part because that’s a much higher rate than for Americans in general. “With ART [antiretroviral therapy] you can expect a pretty normal lifespan,” he said. “That is being robbed from people who keep smoking.”
There’s much more to dive into — you can view the CDC’s brief visual presentation of the data here.
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The Grapevine 🍇
While I was in Belfast, Northern Ireland, earlier this month, I noticed signs at public parks warning people to stay away from dead birds due to the risk of bird flu. (That advice applies anywhere you go!)
Back home, after two related outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks in Hart County and an additional outbreak in Walker County, the state has been declared bird flu-free by Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper. That means the state can resume exporting poultry, but it isn’t an “all clear,” as it could pop up again, according to an agency press release. Commercial and hobbyist poultry owners are urged to stay vigilant.
For more on what to look out for, read our story on how to keep backyard chickens safe — and see a glam shot of Louise the speckled hen.
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Big changes at Grady: President and CEO John Haupert is set to retire from the safety-net health system at the start of next year. The health system announced that COO Anthony Saul will take over as president immediately and become CEO in January when Haupert retires.
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Longtime Children’s CEO Donna Hyland — who started with the system in 1986 — also announced her upcoming retirement. She will be replaced by Dr. Patrick Frias, who formerly worked at Children’s and currently leads Rady Children’s Health in Southern California.
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In health,
Rebecca
Thumbnail image by Rebecca Grapevine / Healthbeat
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