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With the African American community bearing the brunt of the HIV epidemic, one official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is saying more needs to be done to tackle the problem, both by members of the community and public health groups.... Full Story

Older individuals may not think about their risk of receiving a positive STD test. The problem is generally associated with younger individuals. While teens and young adults do represent the majority of new infections, experts say that seniors should be aware of their risk factors as well, as rates of new infections are rising in this age group.... Full Story

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes HIV testing as one of the most effective methods for slowing the spread of the infection. Unfortunately, some individuals may soon start finding it more difficult to access screening.... Full Story

Ever since the HIV epidemic came to the U.S. in 1981, it has left millions of people infected with the disease. Some communities have been hit particularly hard. In order to prevent the infection from continuing to spread, experts say more people should consider HIV testing.

There are currently more than 1 million people in the U.S. who are infected with HIV, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. What's more, as much as 21 percent of these individuals are unaware of their infection.

The disease is most common among minorities and men who have sex with men. African Americans receive the most positive HIV tests each year, despite the fact that this group only makes up about 12 percent of the total U.S. population. There were more than 42,000 new cases diagnosed in African Americans in 2008.

Numbers such as these underscore the importance of HIV testing. The infection will continue to be passed from one individual to the next as long as there are so many undiagnosed cases. Testing and treating those who are infected may be one of the simplest ways to slow the spread of HIV.