Men living with HIV are less likely to access HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy, and they also experience higher levels of new HIV infections.
In 2019, the estimated 1.7 million people who acquired HIV worldwide marked a 23% decline in new HIV infections since 2010, although progress on HIV prevention remains far too slow, with the estimated total number of new infections in 2019 more than three times higher than the milestone of 500 000 that was set for 2020.
There were fewer new HIV infections in 2019 worldwide among women and girls (48% of total infections) than among men and boys (52%) in 2019—globally the annual number of new infections has been falling more rapidly among women and girls (a 27% decrease since 2010) than among men and boys (an 18% decrease).
Number of new HIV infections by sex, global, 2019-2019. Source: UNAIDS epidemiological estimates, 2020
