Following release of that surprising statistic earlier this year from the CDC, the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Program decided to hone in on that number as the main them of 2016 National HIV Awareness Day, which is held May 18.

According to a release from the program, the staff hopes to continue to raise awareness about the report from the CDC that stated, "Gay and bisexual men continue to be most affected by the HIV epidemic in the U.S. At current rates, 1 in 6 MSM (men who have sex with men) will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, including 1 in 2 black MSM, 1 in 4 Latino MSM, and 1 in 11 white MSM." The report adds that African Americans are by far the most affected racial or ethnic group with a lifetime HIV risk of 1 in 20 for men (compared to 1 in 132 for white men) and 1 in 48 for women (compared to 1 in 880 white women)."

For the past 10 years, the U.S. HIV infection rate has held steady at around 50,000 new diagnoses a year. However, the Vanderbilt HIV Program points out that with all that has been learned about transmission and prevention, the continued number of new diagnoses indicates the need for another prevention method to try to move the needle downward. 

Founded in 1987, the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Program has enrolled more than 1,300 HIV negative volunteers in the past 30 years. At present, they are seeking HIV negative MSM and transgender individuals as participants for the AMP Study, a clinical trial involving antibodies instead of vaccines, which could be a scientific breakthrough and the first of its kind.

Brandon Dykes, 21, received his first antibody infusion on May 18 at the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine clinic. He enrolled in the study because he said the CDC report made him feel "sad and afraid. However, I feel empowered to mobilize members of my community to take ownership of their health. I also want to decrease the stigma surrounding African Americans enrolling in studies. I desire to be part of the solution."

For more information on the AMP study, click here.