Ending the HIV Epidemic

The Orange County Health Services Department is excited to be part of the five-year federal initiative, Ending the HIV Epidemic. The five-year federal initiative, Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE), focuses on four key pillars to end the epidemic: (1) Diagnose people as early as possible, (2) Treat people rapidly and effectively, (3) Prevent new HIV transmissions, and (4) Respond quickly to HIV outbreaks.

Through collaboration with key stakeholders and community partners, the Orange County Health Services Department, plans to implement activities that will align with the four pillars, by leveraging innovative practices and program models of care that decrease new HIV infections; reduce HIV-related health disparities; improve access to HIV care and treatment; and improve health outcomes.

Working with community partners, Orange County has set goals that, if achieved, will aid in Ending the HIV Epidemic. Those goals are:

1

Increase the proportion of people with HIV who are virally suppressed to 90% by 2025

2

Increase the percentage of people with HIV who have received an HIV diagnosis to 90% by 2025

3

Reduce new HIV infections in Orange County to no more than 115 by 2025

Scroll down to learn more about the indicators and the impact they will have on success.

Treatment as Prevention

Treating people with HIV rapidly and effectively leads to viral suppression. Viral suppression is the percentage of people with diagnosed HIV infection who have an amount of HIV that is less than 200 copies per milliliter of blood, in a given year.

Achieving and maintaining viral suppression improves the health of people with HIV and prevents transmission of new infections. Data has shown that achieving viral suppression among people with HIV is the most effective way to reduce new HIV infections as undetectable levels of virus in the blood due to treatment means people cannot transmit the virus to others. The undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U) campaign hopes to spread awareness that treatment can help in ending the HIV epidemic. Learn more about the U=U campaign .

Current Rate

70.8%

Goal

90%

Progress towards 90% diagnosed goal;
84.4% of people with HIV have received an HIV diagnosis

Increasing HIV status awareness among persons with HIV infection is critical, as this awareness is necessary to access HIV medical care and support services. In addition, persons unaware of their HIV infection may account for about one third of new infections, so increasing knowledge of HIV status is central to reducing new infections as well as improving health outcomes.

84.4% Current Rate

90% Our Goal

Reduce new HIV infections to no more than 115 people annually by 2025; 461 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2023

Prevent new HIV transmissions through proven interventions like PrEP. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or PrEP is a daily pill that is taken by people who may be at a higher risk for HIV. PrEP, if taken as prescribed, can reduce the change of becoming infected by up to 99%. This intervention is safe and one of the most effective ways to significantly reduce new HIV infections when taken as prescribed.