Every June 27, National HIV Testing Day reminds us that knowing your status is the first step toward prevention, care, and treatment. After two years of progress, HIV testing in New York State slipped backward in 2024, far from pre-COVID-19 levels.

According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 13.1% of New Yorkers reported being tested for HIV in the past 12 months in 2024, down from 14.3% in 2023. That drop ends two straight years of post-pandemic recovery, and testing remains well below where it stood before COVID-19 (about 17.6% in 2019). The rebound, in other words, has stalled.

The statewide average hides key disparities between different communities. In 2024, testing rates varied sharply by race, age, and gender:

• Black (26%) and Hispanic (20%) New Yorkers had the highest testing rates.
• White New Yorkers had the lowest rate at just 8%, roughly a third the rate of Black New Yorkers.
• 25–34-year-olds were most likely to get tested(22%), while those 45 and older were least likely (8%).

Women (14%) are slightly more likely to get tested than men (13%), yet men account for nearly 80% of all new HIV diagnoses in New York State. In other words, testing is not concentrated where the need is greatest. Closing that gap is one of the clearest opportunities to find infections earlier and connect more people to care.

While a one-year dip in HIV testing is not a trend, it is a potentially useful signal. Rising back up to pre-pandemic testing levels, and going beyond them, will take renewed, equitable outreach to the communities and age groups being missed, especially men and older adults. HIV testing is quick, often free, and widely available across New York. Knowing your status protects you and helps protect your community.

Find local testing resources here.

Explore more data on HIV testing in New York State and New York City here.