Despite the fact that gay and bisexual men comprise the majority of HIV-positive individuals in the United States, the CDC reports that half of them are not actively engaged in ongoing treatment.

In a study released by the CDC, data from 2010 was examined that included over 400,000 HIV-positive men who were either gay or bisexual. Researchers found that while the majority (77.5 percent) received medical care directly following their diagnosis, far fewer (51 percent) continued their care after the first three months.

An important part of this care is the administration of powerful anti-viral medications that suppress the virus, protecting the individual’s health and preventing it from transmission to others. Yet the new report states that less than half of the homosexual or bisexual men diagnosed are prescribed the drugs. Only 42 percent take the drugs regularly enough to achieve what is known as viral suppression, meaning the virus is relatively inactive within the body.

Young men and minorities were at the highest risk of going without proper medical care after their diagnosis. Only 71 percent of men ages 13-24 got proper care after their tests came back positive, as compared to the 84 percent of those between the ages of 45-54.

For white men who were gay or bisexual, 83 percent were given access to ongoing medical care directly following their diagnosis. This same scenario was only available to 72 percent of black males with the same infections.

30.5 percent of men between 18 and 24 had access to antiviral medications while 68 percent of those over 54 years had access.

Though gay and bisexual men make up 52 percent of all HIV-positive people in the U.S. the CDC reports that over half of them are unaware of their infection.

The CDC cites this lack of knowledge, along with stigmas, discrimination and a deficiency of resources as possible factors into why so many HIV-positive individuals are going without treatment.

The importance of treatment is not just to protect the health of the person infected, but to prevent the spread of the virus. The CDC hopes to bring awareness to this fact as part of efforts to bring consistent health care to 80 percent of HIV-positive people by the year 2015.