Four decades of HIV antibody screening in the U.S. military: A review of incidence and demographic trends, 1990-2024

Abstract: Despite significant efforts to further reduce HIV incidence, including the introduction and scaling of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in 2012, the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy in 2011, and test-and-treat initiatives aligned with the 2019 "Ending the HIV Epidemic" initiative, annual rates of HIV incidence in the U.S. Armed Forces have continued to show little to no annual declines. To better understand the nature of new infections in the U.S. military, this retrospective analysis examined cases and trends in greater depth to 1) identify and describe total HIV antibody seropositivity rates from 1990 to 2024, with stratification by demographic characteristics, and 2) identify and characterize potential shifts in the epidemiological profile of HIV cases during the course of the evolving HIV epidemic. From January 1990 through December 2024, over 46 million U.S. service members in the active component, Guard, and reserve were tested for HIV antibodies, and 11,280 (24.3 per 100,000 persons tested) were diagnosed with HIV. Male service members comprised 96.3% of all HIV infections. The total rate of new HIV diagnoses declined over the period of surveillance, with the steepest decline in the first decade. Overall rates stabilized in 1997, but differences persist between different age and population groups. New HIV diagnoses have risen among male service members under age 30 years, with non-Hispanic Black service members bearing the highest burden and Hispanic service members experiencing the largest relative increases. Since 1997, rates in all racial and ethnic groups have more than doubled for those under age 25 years; for Hispanic service members, the increase was nearly 10-fold.

Read the full article
Report a problem with this article

Related articles

  • More for Policy & Practice

    The ask, care, escort suite of trainings: Initial evaluation of the Army’s primary suicide prevention strategy

    Abstract: The U.S. Army’s Ask, Care, Escort (ACE) suicide gatekeeper training has been the annual requirement for all personnel since 2009; however, this training has never been formally evaluated. The present study evaluated three updated versions of ACE: a training for Army leaders (ACE-Suicide Intervention), a training for basic combat trainees (ACE for Basic Combat Training and One Station Unit Training), and a standard training for all personnel (ACE for the Force). Self-report surveys measured pre- to posttraining changes in objective and subjective knowledge and stigma, as well as preparedness, self-efficacy, and likelihood to engage in gatekeeper behaviors. Implementation outcomes, such as training acceptability, suitability, and usability were also assessed. Across these evaluations, participants reported that knowledge and gatekeeper behaviors significantly improved from pre- to posttraining. Implementation metrics revealed a high degree of acceptability and relevance for all three ACE trainings. Overall, the findings of these evaluations suggest important changes in key suicide prevention outcomes following the ACE suite of trainings. Further longitudinal assessment is needed to establish the full effectiveness of gatekeeper interventions in the Army.