The ongoing battle against HIV in San Francisco has marked a new milestone, with a significant decrease in new diagnoses last year. According to the latest report released by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), there's been a 20% drop in new HIV diagnoses in 2023 compared to the previous year. Figures fell from 167 new cases in 2022 to 133 in 2023, signaling a broader trend as this number has plummeted by 59% since 2014.

Within these encouraging statistics comes a nuanced success story: the Latino community in San Francisco has witnessed an even more drastic downturn of 46% in new diagnoses last year. Despite the progress, there's a glaring contrast when contrasted with national data across the U.S., new diagnoses dwindled by only 3% over the past decade. SFDPH attributes its upward trajectory to its broad array of public health facilities and initiatives, including the SFDPH’s San Francisco City Clinic and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. "San Francisco has long been a national leader in HIV research, epidemiology, prevention, testing, and care. We are thrilled to see that HIV diagnoses in our City continue to go down,” said Mayor London Breed, as per the City and County of San Francisco.

Notably, the efficiency of care post-diagnosis has also rebounded to exceed pre-pandemic proportions. The report delineates that in 2023, 95% of individuals diagnosed with HIV were linked to appropriate care within a month, and 84% achieved viral suppression in half a year following their diagnosis. Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health, emphasized, "Incredible advancements have been made in HIV prevention and care, and we must continue to make sure that communities across San Francisco have access to high-quality, culturally competent services," as cited by the City and County of San Francisco, His remarks underline the report's positive reflections and its contribution to a sustained trajectory that aspires to halt new HIV infections ultimately.

Keeping pace with technological and medical advancements, San Francisco also broadened its preventive measures. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, a medication regime to prevent HIV infection, has seen an uptick in usage, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM), irrespective of race and ethnicity. From modest beginnings in 2015, with a 22%-27% adoption rate amongst MSM, PrEP usage has surged to a remarkable 71%-78% in these communities as of 2023. Dr. Susan Philip, Health Officer for the City and County of San Francisco, captured the essence by stating, "The tools both inside and outside of traditional medical settings are there, and the more we connect with and hear from our communities, the better chance we will have in tackling the challenges in front of us," according to the City and County of San Francisco.