Epi Profile Section 4 – New Diagnoses in MSM

Overall Trends and Profile of Texans with New HIV Diagnoses

In 2018, 3,177 MSM were diagnosed with HIV infections, meaning that each day between eight and nine MSM were diagnosed. MSM made up 70% of the Texans with new diagnoses in 2018.

The annual number of MSM who were diagnosed rose 17% between 2009 and 2018. The profile of MSM with new diagnoses in 2018 shows continuation of trends from past years:

• Three out of four were Black or Hispanic;
• Two out of three were younger than 35; and
• All MSM were disproportionately affected by HIV, but the diagnosis rates were highest among Black MSM and those under 35.
   

Figure 14:  Number of Texas MSM with new diagnoses, 2009-2018 

Source: Texas eHARS, 2018
Data for Figure 14
 

MSM with New Diagnoses by Race/Ethnicity

The number of Black and Hispanic MSM with new HIV diagnoses rose over the past 10 years, with new diagnoses in Black MSM rising 16% and new diagnoses in Hispanic MSM increasing at twice that rate (Figure 15).
 

Figure 15: Texas MSM with new HIV diagnoses by race/ethnicity, 2009-2018 

Source: Texas eHARS, 2018
Data for Figure 15
 

MSM with New Diagnoses by Age

In 2018, 2 out of 3 MSM with new diagnoses were between 15 and 34 years old. The number of new diagnoses in both the 15-24 (youth) and 25-34 age groups rose together from 2010 to 2014. From 2015 to 2018, new diagnoses in 25-34-year-olds continued to rise, but new diagnoses in youth fell by about 11%.
 

Figure 16: Texas MSM with new HIV diagnoses by age groups, 2009-2018 

Source: Texas eHARS, 2018
Data for Figure 16
 

Diagnosis Rates

MSM diagnosis rates are 33 times higher than the rates for Texans overall, and the rates for Black and Hispanic MSM are especially high. The rate for Black MSM means that DSHS estimates that 1 in 100 Black MSM in Texas received an HIV diagnosis in 2018.

The diagnosis rates for MSM between 18 and 34 years old are much higher than the rates for other age groups. They suggest that 1 in 100 of the MSM in those two age groups were diagnosed with HIV in 2018.

Another way of looking at burden of disease is ‘1 in’ statements. For Texas overall in 2018, 1 in 305 Texans received an HIV diagnosis in 2018. The HIV burden is much higher for MSM: 1 in 191 MSM were given an HIV diagnosis in 2018 (Table 11). The rates for young MSM of color are even higher:

• 1 in 30 Black MSM 18-24 years old were diagnosed in 2018;
• 1 in 105 Hispanic MSM in this age group were diagnosed in 2018;
• 1 in 26 Black MSM 25-34 years old were diagnosed in 2018; and
• 1 in 81 Hispanic MSM in this age group were diagnosed in 2018.
   

Figure 17:  Diagnosis rates in MSM by race/ethnicity, Texas 2018 

Source: Texas eHARS, 2018 rates per 100,000
Data for Figure 17
 

Figure 18:  Diagnosis rates in MSM by age group, Texas 2018 

Source: Texas eHARS, 2018 rates per 100,000
Data for Figure 18
 

Table 10: Texas MSM with new HIV diagnoses by age and race/ethnicity, 2018

A rate above 1,000 in this table can be translated into a percentage. For example, DSHS estimates that 3.3% of Black MSM between 18 and 24 were diagnosed with HIV in 2018.
Source: Texas eHARS, 2018
 

Table 11: '1 in' statements for diagnosis in MSM by age and race/ethnicity, 2018

Table 12: New HIV diagnoses in Texas MSM, 2014-2018

Source: Texas eHARS, 2018
 

Texas HIV Epidemiologic Profile