ATLANTA, GA – US health officials at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that only 28% of the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV have the infection under control increasing the risk that they will spread the disease to others.

The CDC went on to say that a big part of the problem is that one in five US adults infected with HIV do not know it. People can be infected with the AIDS virus for years without developing symptoms. Of those who are aware, only half receive ongoing medical care and treatment.

To reach groups at the greatest risk, the CDC is launching a new campaign urging regular testing for black gay and bisexual men, a population in which both HIV and syphilis infections continue to rise.