In 2013, 93% of all new HIV cases linked to care; in 2016, 97% linked. The proportion of newly diagnosed persons who started on ART also improved, from 78% in 2013 to 81% in 2016. In addition, the proportion of patients who both linked to care within 5 days and were started on ART within 1 day rose from 6% in 2013 to 30% by 2016.
Similar improvements were seen in median time from diagnosis to care, from 8 days in 2013 to 5 in 2016 (–38%); time from the first care visit to ART initiation from 27 days to 1 day, respectively (–96%); time from ART initiation to virologic load below 200 copies/mL from 70 to 38 days (–46%), and time from diagnosis to virologic load below 200 from 134 to 61 days (–54%).
Time from diagnosis to first care visit decreased significantly for males, whites, Hispanics, youth aged 13-29 years, and for those with housing; time from ART to virologic suppression decreased significantly for males, those under age 40 years, whites, Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and for those with housing.
It is important to note that 16% of persons diagnosed with HIV in 2016 had not started on ART. “We found no notable sociodemographic differences versus the ART starters, although we did not look at mental illness [or] ... substance use,” Dr. Bacon said.