title: Disparities in Retention in HIV Care Among HIV-Infected Young Men Who Have Sex with Men in the District of Columbia, 2013.
abstract: Among young men who have sex with men (YMSM), aged 13-24 years, Blacks/African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos are disproportionately affected by HIV, accounting for 58% and 21%, respectively, of diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States. In the District of Columbia (DC), YMSM of color are also disproportionately affected by HIV. National goals are that 80% of HIV-infected persons be retained in HIV care. We analyzed DC surveillance data to examine retention among YMSM living with HIV infection in DC.
  
  
  
  We characterized correlates of retention in HIV care (≥2 clinical visits, ≥3 months apart, within 12 months of diagnosis) among YMSM in DC to inform and strengthen local HIV care efforts. We analyzed data from DC HIV surveillance system for YMSM aged 13-29 years diagnosed between 2005 and 2012 and alive in 2013. We also combined demographic and clinical variables with sociodemographic data from the U.S. American Community Survey (ACS) by census tracts.
  
  
  
  From 2005 to 2012, 1034 YMSM were diagnosed and living with HIV infection in DC; 83% were Black or Latino. Of the 1034 YMSM, 910 (88%) had census tract data available and were included in analyses (72% Black, 10% Latino, and 17% White); among the 854 (94%) linked to care, 376 (44%) were retained in care. In multivariate analyses, retention in care was less likely among 19-24 year YMSM compared with 13-18-year-old YMSM (adjusted prevalence ratios [aPR] = 0.89, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.80-0.99).
  
  
  
  Retention in HIV care was suboptimal for YMSM. Increased retention efforts are warranted to improve outcomes and reduce age and racial/ethnic disparities.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Community and Rural Medicine, Institute for Rural Health Research, College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama , Tuscaloosa, Alabama.|2 Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia .
authors.forename: Mercedes M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Morales-Alemán
authors.affiliation: 3 HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration, District of Columbia Department of Health, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Jenevieve
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Opoku
authors.affiliation: 2 Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia .
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: 4 College of Nursing, New York University , New York, New York.
authors.forename: Yzette
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lanier
authors.affiliation: 3 HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration, District of Columbia Department of Health, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kharfen
authors.affiliation: 2 Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia .
authors.forename: Madeline Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Sutton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004219:District of Columbia; D062306:Geography, Medical; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000208:ethnology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology*; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: District of Columbia; HIV/AIDS; YMSM; health disparities; retention in care