Unrecognized HIV infection, risk behaviors, and perceptions of risk among young black men who have sex with men--six U.S. cities, 1994-1998.

The incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among young black men who have sex with men (BMSM) is among the highest of all risk groups in the United States. Two important strategies to reduce HIV transmission among young BMSM are to increase the proportion of men who are aware of their HIV infection and to increase the consistent use of condoms among sexually active men. However, limited information is available to help develop HIV-testing and condom-promotion programs for young BMSM. To address this need, data from CDC's Young Men's Survey (YMS) were used to evaluate the prevalence of unrecognized HIV infection, barriers to testing, and reasons for nonuse of condoms among BMSM aged 15-22 years. This report summarizes the results of the survey, which indicated that of the 16% of young BMSM participants who were infected with HIV, nearly all were unaware of their infection. Few young BMSM reported testing frequently for HIV, and many reported engaging in behaviors that could transmit HIV because they perceived themselves or their partners to be at low risk for infection. These findings underscore the urgency of expanding and improving prevention efforts for young BMSM by increasing the demand for and availability of HIV-testing services and by providing high-quality prevention counseling that includes assessment and clarification of perceived risks for infection.