HIV diagnoses have been on the rise in recent years in Northern Michigan.
Over the last four years, new cases of HIV have more than tripled in parts of the northern Lower Peninsula compared to the previous four years. The region reported 44 cases from 2019 through 2023, compared to 14 cases from 2014 through 2018.
Health officials aren’t sure what’s behind the increase. Of the newly identified cases, almost 41% didn’t have an identified risk factor, and 44% were diagnosed in a late stage, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
While officials say the increase is not a cause for alarm, they are encouraging residents to get tested and be aware of available therapies, including preventative medications.
“We have done a lot of work to increase HIV testing, education, and awareness in our communities and hope that we continue to link folks with the treatment and resources they need,” said Kevin Hughes, health officer for District Health Department #10, which serves the counties of Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmett, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, and Otsego.
HIV, which stands for human immunodeficiency virus, is a disease that attacks the body’s immune system, making it difficult to fight off infections. Ways it can be transmitted include sexual contact, sharing needles and during pregnancy/breastfeeding.
Across the state, HIV cases have largely been on the decline for decades, with fewer late-stage diagnoses each year. In recent years, less than one in every five cases wasn’t diagnosed until the third of three stages of infection.
In 2022, the state reported 634 new cases and a transmission rate of 3.5 transmissions per 100 people living with HIV. Both annual totals were down from 790 new cases and a transmission rate of 5.7 in 2012.
For context, District Health Department #10 reported a 2023 transmission rate of about 7 through Oct. 1, and about 5 in 2022.
As of Dec. 31, 2022, health officials were aware of 17,970 people living with HIV in Michigan. About 63% of those individuals were living in the Metro Detroit area, which is home to about 43% of the state’s population.
Given the recent rise, officials in Northern Michigan recommend HIV testing for everyone in their community age 15 to 64 years. Many health departments offers rapid blood testing, or the option to order free at-home test kits.
There are available medications – pre-exposure prophylaxis approved first as Truvada and Descovy – that reduce the risk of contracting HIV from sex by 99% and from injection drug use by at least 74%, according to Dr. Jennifer Morse, medical director for the District Health Department #10,
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“We encourage people who may have identified risks for HIV to determine if they can benefit from this preventative approach in addition to taking measures such as using condoms,” Morse said.
Residents in Northern Michigan can find more information about HIV testing through the District Health Department #10 website, here. Appointments can be made by calling 888-217-3904.
All Michiganders with questions about HIV and sexually transmitted infections are encouraged to call the Michigan HIV/STI Hotline at 1-800-872-2437 weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. There’s also an online chat option, and you can use the CDC test finder at gettested.cdc.gov.
