Delaware saw lowest number of new HIV infections in 2 decades in 2018

Delaware saw the lowest number of new HIV infections in two decades in 2018, the state's medical director said Thursday.

There were 92 new HIV infections in Delaware last year, which is the first time this number has been below 100 since the state started keeping records in 2001, said state medical director Dr. Rick Hong.

In 2017 and 2016, new HIV infections were 122 and 115, respectively, said Jennifer Brestel, spokeswoman for the Division of Public Health. The state began recording AIDS data in 1981 and didn't collect data on Delawareans with HIV until 2001. 

Like other areas throughout the country, HIV infections have become more prevalent in black men in Delaware. 

Hong attributes the reduction in new cases to continued outreach, specifically the state's needle exchange program, testing those at-risk for HIV earlier and making medication like pre-exposure prophylaxis more accessible. 

The revelation comes days after President Donald Trump's pledge to eliminate new HIV transmissions by 2030 in his State of the Union speech. Department of Health and Human Services officials said the goal is to reduce new HIV infections in five years by 75 percent and have a more than 90 percent reduction in 10 years.

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Delaware has one of the highest rates of HIV diagnoses per capita, according to 2017 data by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But HIV diagnoses among Northeast states dropped by 17 percent from 2012 to 2016.

There are about 3,500 people living with HIV/AIDS in Delaware, Hong said. While this is an increase from 3,230 in 2015, the state medical director said this also reflects how more people in Delaware and throughout the country are living longer with HIV/AIDS.

The federal government plans to specifically target 48 counties, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, where more than 50 percent of new HIV diagnoses occurred in 2016 and 2017, health officials said.

Hong said Delaware will likely not be one of the areas targeted by the federal government. But he believes new infection rates will continue to decrease if the state continues to do its current outreach — and that means continued support from the federal government.

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In fiscal year 2016, Delaware received about $10.48 million to fund HIV/AIDS programs. Hong said this money helps the state identify and test those who are at most risk for HIV and also to subsidize medication, particularly PrEP.

Frank Hawkins, director of advocacy and community engagement for AIDS Delaware, believes more "face to face" interaction about HIV awareness needs to happen in the state. 

Hawkins describes himself as an "old-school guy" when it comes to getting the word out about HIV and testing.

He believes the state and other organizations like AIDS Delaware need to do more street outreach. That includes distributing condoms and clean needles to at-risk communities. 

"The way I see it," Hawkins said, "people are in this relaxed, comfortable state when it comes to HIV. We need to bring back the heightened sense of awareness and be like 'Hey, listen this is what's going on.'"

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Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 324-2386 or mnewman@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @MereNewman.