LI's New HIV Cases Rose 17 Percent In 2021 After 6 Years Of Declines

LONG ISLAND, NY — After six years of declining, the rate of new HIV cases in New York State climbed in 2021, according to the New York State HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, released on Wednesday. The report came a day before World AIDS Day, Dec. 1.

New HIV diagnoses in Nassau and Suffolk were up 17 percent in 2021 over the previous year, the report shows. There were 104 new HIV or AIDS diagnoses in Nassau County and 107 in Suffolk County. The increase on Long Island was steeper than the state increase overall, which was over 9 percent.

Around 75 percent of all new cases in the state were in New York City.

Experts attribute the rise in cases to a lag in New Yorkers receiving health care during lockdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We're still seeing the residual effects of the lockdown," Dr. Joseph McGowan, medical director of Northwell Health's Center for AIDS Research and Treatment, told Newsday.

"People were reluctant to come into health care facilities to be tested."

McGowan, who runs an AIDS treatment center with 2,600 patients, explained that the cases are clustering among people of color, men, Hispanic people and in certain parts of Long Island: Hempstead, Westbury, HicksvilleFreeport, Bay Shore, Central Islip, Brentwood and Huntington Station.

5,300 Long Islanders are living with HIV or AIDS, the state says. More of them are age 50 and over, and men make up 3,726 of the total number.