How do I know if I am at risk to get HIV?

Knowing your risk can help you make important decisions to prevent exposure to HIV. The CDC has developed the HIV Risk Reduction Tool to help you know risk and for better understanding of how different prevention methods like using condoms or taking PrEP, can reduce your risk. Overall, an American has a 1 in 99 chance of being diagnosed with HIV at some point in his or her lifetime. However, the lifetime risk is much greater among some populations. If current diagnosis rates continue the lifetime risk of getting HIV is:

• 1 in 6 for gay and bisexual men overall
• 1 in 2 for African American gay and bisexual men
• 1 in 4 for Hispanic gay and bisexual men
• 1 in 11 for white gay and bisexual men
• 1 in 20 for African American men overall
• 1 in 48 for African American women overall
• 1 in 23 for women who inject drugs
• 1 in 36 for men who inject drugs

Your health behaviors also affect your risk. You can get or transmit HIV only through specific activities. HIV is commonly transmitted through anal or vaginal sex without a condom or sharing injection and other drug injection equipment with a person infected with HIV. Substance use can increase the risk of exposure to HIV because alcohol and other drugs can affect your decision to use condoms during sex. To learn more about your HIV risk and ways to reduce these risks, visit: https://hivrisk.cdc.gov